TEACHERS across Warrington are set to benefit from new specialist training to better support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), following a major investment announced by the Government.
The £200 million programme, delivered over the course of this Parliament, will ensure staff in every school, college and nursery receive improved training on SEND and inclusive education, helping children get the right support earlier and closer to home.
The move comes as part of wider reforms to rebuild confidence in a SEND system that has left too many families feeling frustrated and unsupported.
Sarah Hall MP, Member of Parliament for Warrington South, has welcomed the announcement, saying it reflects what she hears consistently from parents and teachers across the constituency.
The training will give teachers greater confidence in supporting a wide range of needs in the classroom, including speech and language difficulties, neurodiversity, and sensory impairments. It will also support the use of assistive technology and inclusive approaches that benefit all pupils.
Earlier this month, Ms Hall met with teachers at Penketh South Primary School, who told her directly that better SEND training is something they have been calling for.
Teachers spoke about the pressures of supporting children with increasingly complex needs, and the difference that consistent, high-quality training would make, both for staff and for pupils.
Under the new approach, SEND and inclusion training will be embedded across the education workforce, backed by updates to the SEND Code of Practice to ensure it becomes a core expectation rather than an optional extra.
The training programme forms part of Labour’s wider SEND reforms, alongside investment in specialist places, inclusive provision in mainstream schools, and additional funding for councils to support children and families locally.
Ms. Hall said: “Families across Warrington South know the SEND system hasn’t been working as it should. I hear it in my casework, and I’ve heard it directly from teachers in our local schools.
“When I met staff at Penketh South Primary School, they were clear that better SEND training would make a real difference, not just to children with additional needs, but to whole classrooms.
“This investment is about getting support in place earlier, giving teachers the tools they need, and making sure children can thrive in their local schools without families having to fight for help.
“It’s not about quick fixes or headlines. It’s about rebuilding trust and putting inclusion back where it belongs, at the heart of education.”
The training programme forms part of Labour’s wider SEND reforms, alongside investment in specialist places, inclusive provision in mainstream schools, and additional funding for councils to support children and families locally.
