Children with SEND: Assessments and Support Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Education
Rosena Allin-Khan
Main Page: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)Department Debates - View all Rosena Allin-Khan's debates with the Department for Education
Children with SEND: Assessments and Support
Rosena Allin-Khan Excerpts(2 days, 14 hours ago)
Westminster HallRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Westminster Hall is an alternative Chamber for MPs to hold debates, named after the adjoining Westminster Hall.
Each debate is chaired by an MP from the Panel of Chairs, rather than the Speaker or Deputy Speaker. A Government Minister will give the final speech, and no votes may be called on the debate topic.
This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record
Several hon. Members rose—
Dr Rosena Allin-Khan (in the Chair)
Order. I am keen to get everybody in because this is such an important topic. To do so, I will have to change the time limit to two minutes.
Several hon. Members rose—
Dr Rosena Allin-Khan (in the Chair)
Order. Much as I appreciate the love and support that you are showing one another, I really want to get everybody in, because Members have sat through the debate for a long time in order to be heard.
Jess Brown-Fuller
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Many schools that I have spoken to in my constituency say they cannot fund a full-time SENCO; instead, they might share them with other primary schools in the area. SENCOs are at the frontline of this issue. They want to deliver for the children they are asked to represent, but they are not paid enough nor given enough hours to do the job. We need decisions that get it right first time and support that starts when the need is identified, not after a courtroom date is set.
I welcome the ten-minute rule Bill tabled by my hon. Friend the Member for Yeovil (Adam Dance) on neurodivergent screening and teacher training. His principle is simple: we must identify needs early, including dyslexia; equip teachers with the knowledge and confidence to respond in class; and make specialist pathways clear and timely for those who need them. As he rightly said in his moving contribution in the main Chamber, neurodivergence is not a weakness or a flaw; with the right support, it can be a superpower. If Ministers are serious about addressing the crisis in SEND, parent voice must be at the centre. Parents know their children best and what works, because they live with the consequences of policy every day. Change will command confidence only if families can see and feel the difference.
Dr Rosena Allin-Khan (in the Chair)
I am afraid that I have to take the time limit down to one and a half minutes to get everybody in.