Stuart Anderson MP has called on the Government to end the "postcode lottery of support" for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The MP has urged Ministers to improve access to specialist education in rural areas, including South Shropshire. He has been contacted by many constituents struggling to locate suitable provision for their children.
Stuart's campaign follows research from the disability rights charity, Sense, which has found that almost half of parents of disabled children say that they have "struggled" to find a school to meet their child's needs. In addition, 45% have experienced difficulties getting a plan of support (EHCP) for their child while 38% said their child has to travel a "long way" to access the right support.
Meanwhile, more than two dozen councils have reported that their schools are already "over-subscribed" in certain age cohorts. Data shows there is less than 100 free places in some year groups across 87 local authorities. It fuels concerns that the lack of flexibility in the state system will be exacerbated by the government's decision to impose 20 per cent VAT on independent schools.
In its own impact assessment, the government has admitted that 37,000 pupils will be forced into already stretched state schools in the longer term. Stuart has said that this will lead to larger class sizes and place significant pressure on resources, especially for children with special education needs.
At the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor announced £1 billion to support Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision. However, it added that £865 million of this is expected to be used to reduce local authority deficits. In response to a recent written question tabled by Stuart in Parliament, a Minister added:
"Local authorities have a statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient state school places in their area. Local authorities routinely support parents who need a state funded school place, including where private schools have closed or where pupils move between schools. The department works with local authorities to support place planning and ensure there is capacity in the state funded sector to meet demand."
Stuart has now written to the Education Secretary, calling for more equitable support to be provided to rural areas like South Shropshire as part of the Spending Review. The campaign is part of Stuart's commitment to enhance public services in South Shropshire, including by boosting local school capacity.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
"All children, including those with additional needs, deserve the very best start to life. So, I am concerned by reports, from both my constituents and the media, that parents are struggling to provide suitable places for their children and, where they can be found, are forced to travel long distances to access them. These challenges are set to only increase with the government's decision to proceed with imposing 20 per cent VAT on private school education. That’s why I am calling on Ministers to end the postcode lottery of support and deliver more equitable funding for areas like South Shropshire.”
