Parents and carers have less than five days left to respond to the government’s consultation on SEND reforms.
The Department for Education (DfE) issued the reminder as King Charles, in his King’s speech, announced that reforms to the SEND system will be legislated through an Education for All Bill.
He told parliament that ministers “believe that every child deserves the chance to succeed to the best of his or her ability and not be held back due to poverty, special educational needs, or a lack of respect for vocational education”.
“A bill will be brought forward to raise standards in schools and introduce generational reforms of the special educational needs system.,” he added.
The DfE said the announcement “ushered in a new era of inclusive education” with the new legislation creating long-term change that “can’t be easily unpicked”.
This was “building on work already underway to create a more inclusive mainstream system and delivering high-quality education, health, and care services in every community from 2029”.
The government appears to be making announcements on SEND reform before the consultation has even closed
Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, said: “Children with SEND deserve a system that lifts them up, and that puts no limit on what they can go on to achieve.
“That means overhauling a broken SEND system that has failed children for too long – through investment, training and legislation to build foundations for reform that can’t be easily reversed.
“The Education for All Bill is a vital lever in this process, but I am clear that any changes must be built with the families they are designed to serve.
“There are five days left to feed into our consultation, and I want to hear from as many parents as possible to make sure we build a system fit to last.”
However, Matt Wrack, general secretary of NASUWT union, said: “The government appears to be making announcements on SEND reform before the consultation on reforms has even closed.
“Teachers, parents and pupils will be confused and concerned over this development as they have been promised a voice in these plans.
“While a bill would naturally follow a white paper, right now, schools are more focused on the bills they cannot pay due to diminished levels of funding.
“In order to reserve funds to spend specifically on SEND, schools will require an increase in funding – especially if they are to accommodate larger numbers of pupils with more complex levels of SEND, as per government proposals.
“It is not yet clear when or how such funding will materialise. Our current calculations suggest that the government’s proposed investment will be nowhere near enough.”
The consultation closes at 11:59pm on Monday 18 May. Responses can be submitted at SEND reform: putting children and young people first – Department for Education – Citizen Space.
