Will the Government’s SEND reforms deliver for children? MPs investigate
On Tuesday 14 April, the Education Committee will scrutinise the Government’s landmark reforms to support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
Meeting details
Announcing the plans in its Schools White Paper in February, the Government said the “generational” reforms represented a “radical expansion of rights and support for every child”. The Government is currently consulting on the measures and evidence heard on Tuesday session will inform the Committee’s response.
As the number of children and young people needing SEND support has grown, pressures have increased on schools and local authorities. In a report published last September, the Committee found the support system for children with SEND was in “crisis” and that improvements needed to be made at every level of the system. In a wide-ranging session, MPs are expected to explore a range of questions including:
- Whether new measures such as Individual Support Plans will effectively support children with SEND
- How rebalancing SEND funding towards mainstream provision could impact on children with complex needs
- The impact on local authority accountability of proposals to reduce the powers of SEND Tribunals
- How confident councils are that the reforms will make the SEND system more financially sustainable