SEN0272

Written evidence submitted by Mr Matthew Barnard

I am writing in my role as a Deputy Headteacher within a state primary school but also as a parent of a child with a potential SEN barrier. 

In my role within education, I have seen the level of need increasing year-on-year in both the number of children requiring additional support but also the complexity of their needs.  At the same time, the availability of support within school, with decreasing numbers of staff per child, and the accessibility of external agencies has become harder and harder.  Schools seem to be expected to support children and their families without the funding and specialist support that is needed or, when support is signposted, it can take years before anything is actively done to support the parties involved.  I have grave concerns over the impact this is having on both the children who really need support as soon as possible, particularly at Primary level where there early experiences of education are life-forming, and for the staff who care so much and work tirelessly for those in their care but don’t have unlimited time, energy and expertise. 

Over the longer-term, I can’t see any alternative other than increasing the funding and available support for children with SEN barriers by providing more staff on the ground to provide the targeted support needed in schools but also by improving the attractiveness of careers in support services like educational psychology and Early Help Hubs.  This requires a combined review of the pathway from school to university for people with an interest in these areas so there are sufficient training courses and also improved benefits packages for people with a passion to work in these fields.  I think there also needs to be a reframing of the money spent in these areas so it is no longer seen as supporting SEN need but it’s actually a long-term investment in our children to enable them to be happy, productive, tax-paying adults in the future.

I also have concerns over the funding approach of the current system and the need for schools to fund the first £6,000.  This begins to mount up into significant amounts quite quickly when multiple children, as often happens now, begin to need EHCPs.  This funding has to come from an already small and decreasing pot and affects other members of the school community by the things they do not receive as non-essential areas have to be cutback.

As a parent, I have also experienced the frustration of having a child with a potential need and having to wait several years to make our way through to diagnosis and potential support.  My child is lucky to have two parents with extensive expertise in how to support him but I would worry for similar children who have similar challenges but don’t live in such prepared households.  We have been able to access some online courses and documentation but this feels very much like a sticking plaster to address the level of need and is not likely to be as impactful as having bespoke, focused support from a real person.  Again there needs to be investment to either free up the time of school staff to work more closely with families or external agencies to have more staff to go into people’s homes or work in the community to deliver support.

January 2025