As a former cabinet member for education and proud SEND dad, I’m committed to supporting children with SEND and advocating for the changes needed to give them the best possible chances for their futures.
Let’s be clear: we’ve seen significant progress over the last few years, and teachers are making herculean efforts to meet the needs of students, working incredibly hard under often challenging circumstances.
But more needs to be done. Since 2014, the number of children with an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP), who have been assessed by their local authority as having complex needs, has more than doubled. At the same time, academic attainment for children with special needs has not improved. These children cannot, should not – must not – be left behind.
The last government did not do enough, so after 14 years of Tory neglect, it falls to this new Labour government to step up to the plate and get a serious plan to fix SEND. Far from being a peripheral issue, it is something that we simply must get right if this government is to achieve its mission of breaking down barriers to opportunity – barriers that too many SEND children face.
As campaigners and charities have been fighting for years, I won’t presume to suddenly have all the answers. There is no shortage of ideas for ministers to consider seriously – for example, those put forward before the election by charities such as Sense. But as a former teacher and MP for a constituency in which the number of children with SEND is outpacing the national average, I am determined to play my part in advocating for change.
One area where an overhaul is needed is in school inspections which, as things stand, simply do not do enough to recognise, reward or encourage good practice in SEND education. In my constituency, there are many teachers who are working incredibly hard to meet the needs of students with special educational needs. And yet those efforts – the adaptability and commitment to inclusivity among our teaching staff – are not sufficiently recognised as a measure of a school’s success by the current inspection framework.
That’s why our welcome Ofsted reforms should ensure that good inclusive SEND practices count towards and are recognised in the new report cards. This would provide a more comprehensive view of how schools are meeting the needs of SEND children and ensure that school staff are incentivised and encouraged through the inspection system to support their needs.
Inspections can encourage good practice, but can’t provide teachers with the tools and knowledge that underpin such practice in the first place. That’s why teacher training also needs to include a greater focus on SEND education. The current national standards require trainee teachers to spend just one day of their placement in a SEND setting.
This isn’t enough. That’s why I’m calling on the government to consider reviewing the original teacher training framework so that all new teachers receive sufficient training and on-the-job experience that equips them to support SEND children.
Money alone isn’t the answer – but it would be naïve to suggest that it isn’t at least part of what’s needed. Last month’s announcement of £1 billion in extra funding is a welcome and much-needed step. But if we’re to make the most of this investment, we need to make sure it supports both state-funded special schools and mainstream schools with inclusive practices, so that every child can get the support they deserve. We also need to address the significant strain that private SEND provision is putting on council budgets by ensuring they get their share of additional funding, as we cannot end up in a situation where councils are having to cut other services to address the financial strain this creates – through no fault of their own or their residents.
Improving SEND education will be a long process and there is no silver bullet. I am aware of the scale of the challenge – as are other families who have children with SEND. Change for these families is long overdue, and it’s my hope – and belief – that this government will deliver.
Darren Paffey is MP for Southampton Itchen and a Member of the Education Select Committee.
