Children with SEND: Assessments and Support

Emily Darlington Excerpts

Monday 15th September 2025 Westminster Hall

[Dr Chowns]

I absolutely recognise that. That is who I meant when I talked about the people who work most closely with these children and young people—the teachers and educators who support them. In my constituency, numerous children have to travel out of county to get the support they need, and numerous teachers are frustrated and tearing their hair out because they do not have the resources needed.

There are fantastic examples of excellent SEND provision in my constituency, including in mainstream settings, as well as excellent examples of special schools. We all recognise, however, that there are nowhere near enough state-funded special school places.

[Emily Darlington (Milton Keynes Central) (Lab)]

Milton Keynes has more than 15,000 specialist school places, but there has been a 114% increase in children with EHCPs. Even with the level of specialist provision that the council has been able to provide, it still cannot meet the demand. How should we square that circle?

[Dr Chowns]

A key part of that is about ensuring there is more state-run special school provision. As the hon. Member for South Cotswolds mentioned, the evidence shows that independent school places cost about two and a half times more than state special school places. We need investment to expand state educational provision so that we can get more bang for our buck in what we are providing for our children.

On that topic, I would like to ask the Minister about special school places specifically. Last May, the Department for Education announced that Herefordshire had succeeded in its bid for a new special school with 80 places for children with autistic spectrum disorder and severe learning difficulties, but we have heard nothing further since. Will the Minister confirm whether we can count on that funding coming forward soon, and will she outline the timetable for it?

We need to ensure a fair system across the country. I am making a bid for resources for North Herefordshire, but we need to sort out fairness across the entire country. We need to end the postcode lottery in which people have a better chance of accessing support in some places than others, and end the problem of people having to jump through extraordinary hoops and fight unbelievable battles to access the support that should be every child’s birthright. We need a system that enables every child to thrive, and I hope that the Minister will outline how to achieve that.

Primary School Breakfast Clubs

Emily Darlington Excerpts

Monday 18th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Slough) (Lab)]

Children are going hungry inside crumbling schools; that, sadly, is the legacy of 14 years of mismanagement by successive Conservative Governments. When the newly elected Labour Government talk about fixing the foundations, this is where that mission begins: investing in our future, giving our children the best possible start and supporting working people across the United Kingdom. The roll-out of Government funding for breakfast clubs for primary school children is one of the first steps in mending the broken bedrock of our country.

If I may ask, Madam Deputy Speaker, how do you feel when you have not had a decent meal before work? Sluggish? Irritable? Distracted? I can speak only from my own experience—you do not have to answer, Madam Deputy Speaker, as the question is rhetorical. But I am sure other hon. Members will agree that debating, holding advice surgeries and meeting stakeholders are all a challenge on an empty stomach. Why would it be any different for a young child, especially during such an important developmental period? Every day, young children are growing, learning and socialising. Their lives are being shaped, and they are beginning their journey of growing up, preparing to face real-world challenges and taking up the mantle of the next generation. Are rumbling stomachs conducive to that?

Breakfast clubs allow all children, no matter the socioeconomic background they are born into or the familial challenges they face, to have a nutritious, decent meal to energise and fuel them during their busy days of learning. Success at school should not depend on a stable family life. According to the Sutton Trust, 38% of state school teachers have seen growing numbers of pupils coming to school hungry.

[Emily Darlington (Milton Keynes Central) (Lab)]

Does my hon. Friend agree that in places like Milton Keynes, where one in four children lives in poverty but fewer than that qualified for the old free school meals programme, having a breakfast club destigmatises the situation and catches those families who are struggling to make ends meet? These families might be working, but they did not qualify under the previous scheme.

[Mr Dhesi]

My hon. Friend makes an excellent point about the importance of free breakfast clubs in getting rid of the stigma.

One in 10 young people lives in a household classed as food insecure. During the covid pandemic, pupils from families using food banks attained, on average, GCSE grades half a grade lower than their peers. We know that working people are facing some of the toughest economic conditions in decades. The price of essentials has skyrocketed, childcare has become a luxury for many, and many parents feel as though they have been left out in the cold as they continue to do their level best to give their children a better future.

Educational Opportunities

Emily Darlington Excerpts

Wednesday 13th November 2024 Westminster Hall

[Emily Darlington (Milton Keynes Central) (Lab)]

Something about under your chairmanship—sorry, I have forgotten the line, Mr Pritchard. My apologies.

[Mark Pritchard (in the Chair)]

No worries at all. I will take anything—within reason.

--- Later in debate ---

[Emily Darlington]

Thank you, Mr Pritchard. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Tony Vaughan) for bringing forward this really important debate. Education is the best way in the world to bring peace and prosperity, and for people in my constituency of Milton Keynes to get better jobs and have better lives.

In the 1960s, Harold Wilson dreamed of a university of the air. Jennie Lee made that a reality through the Open University, which she chose to base in Milton Keynes—I am very lucky in that. The OU is so important for educational opportunity, because it makes no distinction based on someone’s formal educational qualifications. In fact, it actively encourages those without formal qualifications to come forward and be everything that they can be. It is absolutely crucial for social mobility. More than a quarter of the undergraduates live in the most deprived areas across the UK, and more than 37,000 students last year had some kind of disability, particularly those who had been failed by the current school system and wanted the opportunity to make the most of their lives.

The most important thing about the OU is its flexible learning model, which has been taken forward by many colleges and universities right across the UK and the world, including the Russell Group. At the heart of any ambitious Labour Government is education, education, education for everyone. Being for everyone means that it has to be at the heart of our universities, colleges and schools, and so far this generation is not seeing that investment. I ask the Minister: how will we transform those opportunities for people in Milton Keynes and for my daughters, who are currently going through school?

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

Emily Darlington Excerpts

Thursday 24th October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Catherine McKinnell]

My hon. Friend raises an important point. We need to move to a more sustainable footing in the longer term and make sure that councils can plan ahead. That is something we are looking at.

[Emily Darlington (Milton Keynes Central) (Lab)]

An entire generation of Milton Keynes children with SEND needs has been let down by the previous Government. In addition, the cuts to local councils and schools have made the situation much worse, particularly in respect of high-level teaching assistants, who are crucial to ensuring early detection of and ongoing support for children with SEND in mainstream education. Will the Minister ensure that the school support staff who do that important work are included in this essential review to support children in Milton Keynes?

[Catherine McKinnell]

Absolutely. I am always very careful to say that we thank and applaud both the teachers in our schools and the incredible support staff, who not only support teachers in their role but ensure that every school can function and provide the opportunities that we know will enable all children to thrive.