Political Opinion: Gen Kitchen MP - 'Children with SEND will get the right support when they need it'

In the North Northamptonshire area there are over 4200 children with or waiting for EHCPs and schools with funding gaps that they just cant bridge. Of all the things in our country which the Conservatives left behind in crisis, SEND is the one that again and again breaks my heart.

That’s why I am so proud that Labour’s Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has set out the government’s plans to reform and transform the system. Labour wants support to come earlier, is easier to access, and works around children and families rather than forcing them to fight for help. By launching a consultation on an ambitious and bold vision which will see more kids getting EHCP style support without the legal fight they face today.

By investing in better-trained teachers to deliver better access to specialist expertise in mainstream settings, Labour wants the system to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach and towards education that understands and includes every child. Under our plans, children with SEND will get the right support when they need it, closer to home, without parents having to battle to get the better education – and results – their kids deserve.

These children who need extra support will have a personal plan. Every classroom will have a teacher trained to meet the needs of children with SEND, based on the latest evidence. New dedicated school funding will be there to deliver proven SEND programmes such as small-group teaching or speech and language therapies. Every secondary school will have an inclusion base where teachers can deliver additional support.

And in every corner of the country, families will be able to send their child to school with confidence, with a new ‘Experts at Hand’ package to provide more professional support like speech and language therapists for those with speech, language and communication needs.

We will keep what works and improve what doesn’t, building a new system and investing in new provision so that all children can achieve and thrive.

Delivering a better future for Wellingborough and Rushden’s next generation is why I came into politics, and I am so proud of the change our Labour government is bringing.