The current system for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is 鈥渓ose, lose, lose鈥, costing a 鈥渇ortune鈥 and not providing the 鈥渞ight service鈥, the education secretary has admitted. Gillian Keegan also said parents were using the system of tribunals to get their children into 鈥渧ery expensive independent schools鈥, which drives up costs and creates a 鈥渢ale of two outcomes鈥. During a Q&A at the Schools North East conference this afternoon, the minister said SEND diagnoses were not happening 鈥渆arly enough鈥, and that government reforms would explore 鈥渄ifferent pathways to do that鈥 through 鈥渕ulti-agency鈥 work. 鈥淪END鈥檚 very interesting, because we’re spending a fortune. So the Treasury are not happy, the local authorities are not happy. But then nobody’s happy with the service. 鈥淪o it’s like a lose, lose, lose. We haven’t got the right service.鈥 It comes as fellow Conservative MP Gary Streeter led calls for at least 拢4.6 billion in extra high needs funding. Writing for this newspaper, Streeter, who is vice-chair of the f40 school funding campaign group, said it was聽“very clear that demand and expectation are far outweighing available funding and capacity in the system”. ‘Tribunal factor’ Keegan also criticised what she described as the 鈥渢ribunal factor鈥. Schools Week reported last year how the number of parents launching tribunal appeals over a council鈥檚 refusal to provide SEND support for their vulnerable child passed 10,000 in a year for the first time. Of the 5,600 that went to a hearing, 5,393 (96 per cent) tribunals sided with families either in whole or in part. Ministry of Justice (MoJ) data shows 27 per cent of appeals were against a council鈥檚 refusal to secure an assessment for a plan, while 54 per cent were against the council鈥檚 choice of a school or college. Keegan said the tribunal factor was 鈥渂asically鈥ots of parents taking councils to tribunal to get to a particular school, normally an independent school, normally very expensive independent schools鈥. 鈥淎nd what that’s done is not only has it put the costs up, but it’s a tale of two outcomes, you know Some people are getting this service with a great school, and some are not getting hardly anything, hardly any support.鈥
Lisa Sands 25 October 2023 She鈥檚 off her tree!! Independent and private schools are the ONLY schools that will talk to parents when the local authority REFUSE to consult with other schools鈥. If the Local authorities worked with parents we wouldn鈥檛 need to go hunting for appropriate schools ourselves鈥. They will say anything to make the parents look bad all of the time! YET They鈥檙e the ones GUILTY of wasting taxpayers cash!!
Michele Eaton 30 October 2023 This lady clearly has no idea about the problems faced by families when there child needs the extra support. As a teacher and a parent of a child with SEND it is just a lottery. Those who understand the process can acheive more. The powers that be have no clue about what should be being done to support these very vulnerable youngsters and families. Its about time we had an education secretary who knows what they are talking about.
liz 27 November 2023 Gillian Keegan is our local MP. I have written to her numerous times in regards to my daughters situation, waiting for ASD assessment 14 months so far, not being in school, from dec 22 until October 23, now at school been suspended 4 times as wont go into class, due to not understanding work and sitting there getting more and more anxious, also low attendance, alot of time in what they now call inclusion, I told Gillian that this will affect the rest of her life, and is not being given equal life chances aged 13 years old. how crucial it is and she cannot get this time back, However Gillian Keegan has 2 houses abroad, and one nearby, she also sent her children to private school. if they were neurodiverse she would be able to pay 拢2000 to get an assessment done in a couple of weeks, HOW could she have any idea !!!! She does not care for the local constituents so sorry folks but nationally ???