Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

Providing for our children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is one of the most important functions of our education system.  We must ensure that every child receives support and opportunities to live as full a life as possible, regardless of their background or situation.

Ask any parent who has tried to navigate the SEND system, and they will tell you this: it’s broken. Those who have secured plans will tell you it’s been a nightmare to secure support. Those battling the system will look at you in despair.

And why is it broken? Because special educational needs provision was treated by the previous government as if it was an issue for other people’s kids. They made no serious attempt to confront desperation that parents faced.

Since entering government we have shown our determination to turn round the system of support for children with SEND so that every child gets the chance to achieve and thrive in education, and to end the poor outcomes for our children which today’s system so often delivers. We can, must, and will do better.

We will not ignore parents, teachers and campaigners. We will work with them to develop reforms that fix the system and deliver great education outcomes for every child. We want to hear from parents, experts and campaigners over the summer months in collaboration ahead of a new White Paper that will follow.

If you are a parent in Heywood and Middleton North with personal experience of the SEND system, please join me for a meeting about how it impacts your children – both positive and negative experiences.