SEND Provision

The transcript is a record of an Oral Question session in the House of Commons, where several Labour MPs asked the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, about the adequacy of provision for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services. Dr Allison Gardner, Kevin Bonavia, Sadik Al-Hassan, Luke Murphy, Deirdre Costigan, and Joe Morris all asked the Secretary of State what assessment she has made of the adequacy of SEND service provision. The Secretary of State acknowledged the "trail of devastation" left by the previous Conservative government in the SEND system, and committed to working with families to deliver reform, improve inclusivity in mainstream schools, and ensure special schools can support those with the most complex needs. Dr Gardner highlighted issues with SEND transport, such as a single working mother having to give up her job because her child was 0.1 miles outside the transport catchment area. The Secretary of State agreed to look into the details provided by Dr Gardner. Kevin Bonavia raised concerns about long waiting times for SEND provision in Hertfordshire, and the Secretary of State said she would consider a fairer funding settlement for the area. Sadik Al-Hassan asked about plans to address the recruitment problem for SEND professionals, and the Secretary of State outlined measures to train more educational psychologists. Luke Murphy and Deirdre Costigan shared concerns from their constituents about the difficulties in accessing SEND support and the lack of speech and language provision. The Secretary of State acknowledged these issues and committed to rolling out early language interventions. Joe Morris highlighted the challenges of accessing SEND education in rural constituencies like Hexham, and the Secretary of State agreed to meet with him to discuss this. Other MPs, such as Graham Stuart and John Glen, raised issues around SEND funding and the impact of the Government's VAT policy on independent schools. The Secretary of State responded by emphasizing the need to prioritize investment in state schools, while also recognizing the role of the independent sector in meeting SEND needs. The session concluded with a response to the shadow Minister and a follow-up question from Conservative MP James Wild about the future of the statutory override for SEND-related council deficits.