Children with SEND: Assessments and Support Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Education
Alex McIntyre
Main Page: Alex McIntyre (Labour - Gloucester)Department Debates - View all Alex McIntyre's debates with the Department for Education
(1 day, 18 hours ago)
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Alex McIntyre (Gloucester) (Lab)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Allin-Khan. I thank the 393 Gloucester constituents who signed the petition and all those who have contacted me over the past year about SEND provision in our city.
Far too many children with SEND in my city did not start school with their peers last week, and many of those who have been lucky enough to get a school place have still been left without the support that they need. Parents are having to fight against a system that was meant to support them and their families, teachers are struggling to keep up with the demand of increasingly complex needs in their classes, and council officers are operating in a system that seems designed to antagonise and frustrate at every stage. It is clear that the system is broken.
I hope that the Minister will reassure parents in my constituency that, although reform is needed to fix the Tories’ broken system, this Government will guarantee that all children’s needs will be met. I hope that, in fixing the system, the Government will pay particular attention to early years settings. I recently visited the fantastic Dingley’s Promise early years centre in Coney Hill, where I spoke with staff and parents. The team at Dingley’s are determined to give every child with SEND the best start in life. Importantly, the team are also working with schools to create more inclusive environments in mainstream settings. Sadly, not all schools are open to this collaborative working, so I hope that through their reforms, the Government will ensure that such partnerships are supported.
Finally, on fixing the broken SEND system, I make a plea on behalf of all the parents who are, frankly, exhausted and who feel like they have been lied to for years: as part of the reforms, please remove the adversarial relationship between parents and local authorities, and put the experience of families at the heart of our proposals.