Warrington North MP Charlotte Nichols recently held a roundtable in collaboration with the Warrington Wolves Foundation to discuss the government’s reforms to the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system.
The roundtable discussion at the Halliwell Jones Stadium offered parents and education professionals the opportunity to put forward their views and discuss how best to improve the SEND system.
The government’s proposed reforms include:
- Allowing existing local schools to expand their SEND offering, keeping children closer to home and allowing mainstream public schools to provide more support for children up-front, without the battle for an EHCP.
- New targeted layers of support will ensure children get the right help in mainstream settings. Every child receiving targeted or specialist support will have an individual support plan.
- Families will be able to send their child to school with confidence, with experts at hand to provide more professional support like speech and language therapists for those with speech, language and communication needs.
Lee Mitchell, the General Manager of Warrington Wolves Community Foundation says: “We welcome the opportunity to work alongside Charlotte Nichols MP to bring local voices into this important conversation around SEND reform. Every day, we see the difference that the right support can make in helping children and young people feel happier, healthier, and more connected to our town.
“It’s vital that any changes to the system are shaped by the lived experiences of families, schools, and communities. By hosting this roundtable, we hope to ensure those voices are heard and that future provision better meets the needs of young people across Warrington.
“At Warrington Wolves Community Foundation, we are committed to creating inclusive opportunities for all, and we look forward to contributing to a system that gives every child the chance to thrive.”
Charlotte Nichols MP says: “Thank you to the Warrington Wolves Foundation for hosting my SEND roundtable, and to all those who attended for a really lively and wide-ranging discussion about how we ensure our provision locally meets the needs of our community.”
“For too long, children and families have been held back by an education system that doesn’t work for them. This government is determined to fix a system that everyone agrees is broken and we will make sure that the reforms work in the interests of students and parents.
“I’m therefore keen to hear from people with lived experience so that we can get these reforms right. Some of the feedback from this session included concerns around the practice of ‘off-rolling’, SEND training for all education staff and the lack of health provision for students. I’ll therefore be feeding this back to the government.”
You can read more about the government’s consultation, which closed on the 18th May here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/send-strategy-division/send-reform-putting-children-and-young-people-firs/
Alternatively, you can get in touch with Charlotte by emailing her to let her know what you think or to arrange a discussion: charlotte.nichols.mp@parliament.uk
