Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to (a) protect and (b) support SEND services in schools in Eastbourne constituency.

East Sussex’s most recent Area special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) inspection was undertaken by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission in November 2024, which found that the local area partnership’s arrangements lead to inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

The inspection identified four areas for improvement, including that the local area partnership should develop and embed its work with education settings on improving inclusion, so that the proportion of children and young people achieving strong outcomes increases.

Following the inspection, the East Sussex local area partnership has published a strategic plan with specific actions to address all four areas for improvement, and the department, alongside NHS England, will be tracking the progress that the local area makes against this plan, including through regular engagement, and will offer support and challenge as the local area’s improvement journey continues.