Thank you to constituents who have contacted me about the support for children with SEND. Unfortunately, under the current system, children with SEND are often let down. I understand how frustrating it can be for families when children struggle in school because they are not getting the support they need. The Government aims to ensure that all children with SEND get that support in school.
As you may be aware, the Schools White Paper is due to be published this year and will set out a broader strategy for children and young people with SEND. However, the Government is already making changes to support children and young people. £200 million of investment has been announced for SEND teacher training, representing the most comprehensive offer ever in England. Courses will be available to all teaching staff, explaining how to adapt teaching to meet a wide range of needs in the classroom. Staff will learn about methods proven to help children with additional needs access education, such as assistive technology like speech to text dictation tools.
Alongside this will be an update to the expectations set on schools, confirming that all staff in every nursery, school and college should receive training on SEND and inclusion, ensuring that every teacher across the country is reached.
The early identification of needs is critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND (including dyslexia). Measures are in place to help teachers do this, such as the phonics screening check and statutory assessments at the end of key stage 2. Currently, 20% of pupils are not passing their phonics screening checks, so I am glad the Government is strengthening programmes such as the Reading Ambition for All training programme, which is receiving £26.6 million of investment this academic year.
SEND guidance also makes it clear that meeting children’s needs should not require a diagnostic label, and educational settings should be confident in assessing their pupils’ development so they can properly meet their needs. Schools should develop personalised approaches to support the unique needs of individual pupils. They should also include pupils and parents in this process by taking their views into consideration.
Thank you once again for contacting me about this important issue. This Government is determined to reform the SEND system, rebuild the confidence of families and ensure young people with SEND thrive at and enjoy their time at school.
Best wishes
Rt Hon Hilary Benn
MP for Leeds South
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
[email protected] l www.hilarybennmp.com l X @hilarybennmp