- Government acts on commitment to put Portsmouth parents’ experiences at the heart of SEND reform through new national conversation.
- More than 100,000 opportunities for families and the sector to join the conversation online and in-person and share their views on expert proposals for SEND reform.
- Comes as new report shows positive impact of early intervention for neurodivergent children – supporting Labour’s key principles to give every child the best start in life.
The Labour government had acted on its commitment to make sure parents from Portsmouth play a central role in helping shape the future Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system, as it sets ambition to deliver the biggest national conversation on SEND in a generation.
Labour inherited a SEND system on its knees from the Conservatives, with too many children let down and parents fighting just to be heard. Building on conversations to date, Labour is now launching a public engagement campaign, spanning every region of the country, putting families at the heart of its plans to create a reformed SEND system that will stand the test of time.
Minister for School Standards, Georgia Gould, is hosting nine face-to-face events, run in partnership with the Council for Disabled Children, and five online events covering the department’s five principles of reform. This will provide more than 100,000 opportunities for parents, families and the sector to share their views – opening up a direct line to the people who know the system best.
The themes of engagement include:
- Early intervention, including earlier in children’s lives when this can have most impact.
- Local provision, so young people can learn at a school close to their home, alongside their peers, as well as the vital role of special provision for complex needs.
- Fairness, so every school has the resources and capability to meet changing needs –stopping parents fighting for support and ensuring clear legal safeguards for children and parents.
- Effective practice, grounded in evidence to ensure excellent long-term outcomes.
- Shared working that means education, health and care services working in partnership with local government, families, teachers, experts and representative bodies.
Attendees can share their views on a range of proposals from experts – such as children having written records of support, giving families access to independent advocacy and providing a national framework for support available to children with SEN across all settings.
In Portsmouth, Mr Morgan kicked off the conversation with a joint event with parliamentary colleague Amanda Martin MP with parents and educators, met with local headteachers recently and is visiting local SEND support groups in the community
Additionally, Mr Morgan has been encouraging parents, carers and teachers to participate in his ongoing SEND survey since its launch in August. Once this survey has concluded, results will be collected and fed back to Westminster to influence policy and decision making. This survey can be accessed here.
Commenting, Stephen Morgan MP for Portsmouth South said:
“Portsmouth people will know that SEND has always been a top priority of mine as their MP, which is why I launched my SEND survey to capture views and ideas.
“With the Government’s announcement of a new public engagement campaign across Britain, I am once again encouraging parents, carers and teachers to have their voices heard.
“It is important that this city be a part of this national conversation, my colleagues and I want to hear your experiences, concerns and ideas so that this Government can lay down the groundwork for change which lasts.”
Following the publication of the Schools White Paper early next year, a formal consultation will follow to continue the conversation on reform.
This announcement evidences Labour’s commitment to putting parents at the heart of reform, as set out in the Education Secretary’s interim response to the Education Select Committee (ESC)’s report on Solving the SEND Crisis.
Experts and government advisors, Tom Rees and Dame Christine Lenehan, will also support the work – bringing years of expertise on inclusive practices to conversations with parents.
Alongside these events, urgent work will continue to improve the current system for children. Data published today shows 71% of school leaders enrolled in a programme to support neurodiversity felt better able to meet those children’s needs as a result.
The £22m Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme is enabling up to 2,850 mainstream primary schools to deliver earlier support for neurodiversity, including autism, dyslexia and ADHD.
PINS gives schools access to training to upskill staff on neurodiversity, create more inclusive classroom environments and develop stronger relationships with parent carers – ensuring children receive support at the earliest possible stage, in their local community school.
It comes on top of measures Labour has already taken to improve the system, with 10,000 new school places for children with SEND as part of £740m capital investment, early language support for 20,000 more children, and professionals trained in supporting parents through Best Start Family Hubs rolling out to every area from April.
There are many settings already doing a fantastic job of supporting pupils with SEND and ensuring they are a part of school life. Ministers will be visiting schools across the country to draw on these examples, testing views on what truly works for children, parents and teachers.
A development group of key stakeholders, including SEND parent groups, will also meet regularly with Ministers between now and the end of January to drive reform forward.
There are several ways to get involved:
- Sign up to attend a regional engagement event here.
- Sign up to attend an online event here.
- Complete Stephen’s survey here.
