Displaying items by tag: special needs children

MPs have warned against scrapping education, health and care plans (EHCPs) for children with special educational needs and disabilities. In a new report, the education select committee calls for EHCPs to remain as a vital 'backstop of accountability' for families, alongside statutory minimum standards for SEND provision in all schools. The eight-month inquiry highlights the unsustainable strain on the system, with 638,745 children now holding EHCPs - the highest since their introduction. Despite a decade of rising funding, outcomes for many pupils remain poor, and parents often face exhausting battles to secure support. The committee recommends more training for teachers, greater specialist provision, and funding increases in line with inflation. Campaigners stress that EHCPs give children enforceable rights, while the Government insists reforms will strengthen provision and reduce the need for conflict. MPs argue that long-term sustainability requires an inclusive, well-resourced education system backed by cross-agency cooperation.

National Education Union leader Kevin Courtney said official statistics showed 4,050 special needs pupils did not have a suitable school place in 2017 in England, up from 1,710 in 2016. Lack of designated funding means growing numbers of our most vulnerable children are left without appropriate support in a suitable school environment. The Government said money for schools and special needs was protected, and councils are allocated funds for special needs in both mainstream and special schools through their ‘high needs’ budgets. However, shortfalls in these budgets leave them ‘cash flat’ (the total does not account for inflation), while the number of pupils needing special programmes has been growing. Pupils with autism, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, ADHD, and other learning or physical disabilities need extra equipment and trained support staff to enable them to reach their full potential.