Commenting on the new report on support for children and young people with special educational needs by the Public Accounts Committee, Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union, said:

“It is distressing to see that despite a 58% SEND funding increase over the last ten years, the problem is so severe that outcomes for children and young people have not improved. The government has inherited a SEND system on its knees and in order to ensure that no child is left any further behind, they face the challenging task of rapid reform.
 
“It is clear from the PAC’s report that reform is impossible without a clear national plan that ensures the effective involvement of schools and external services such as CAMHS and social care. Essential services that were run into the ground under the last government need to be part of the solution to ending the SEND crisis.

“Meanwhile, there is a glaring hole in local authority finances that grows bigger the longer we wait. We would welcome the cancellation of this debt in order to allow local authorities to get back on their feet and prevent further delays to lifesaving support and education for pupils with SEND.
 
“Our members tell us that as the numbers of children with SEND in their classrooms go up, their resources to meet such a diverse range of needs go down. They desperately want to help their pupils but often do not have what they need to succeed. In order to build truly inclusive mainstream education, teachers must have improved access to specialist training and the opportunity to bring in appropriate professionals.

“Most schools cannot afford to employ enough teaching assistants. This trend must be reversed so that pupils and teachers receive a safe level of support.
 
“Children and young people with SEND should receive an education delivered on the basis of need, not postcode.”