WHILE budget cuts to Gloucestershire’s hospitals, social services and schools have been much in the public eye recently, the problems faced by one disadvantaged group appears to have slipped under the radar.

Inadequate funding means the necessary resources are frequently unavailable for schoolchildren with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

A study published last year by the KEY (a support service for school leaders) showed:

  • Some 82 per cent of mainstream schools in England do not have sufficient funding and budget to adequately provide for pupils with SEND
  • 89 per cent of school leaders believe cuts to local authority services have had a detrimental impact on the support their school receives for pupils with SEND
  • 75 per cent of schools have pupils who have been waiting longer than expected for assessment of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan (EHCP)
  • 88 per cent of school leaders think initial teacher training does not adequately prepare teachers to support pupils with SEND.

There are 1.3 million children in England with SEND, of which approximately 200,000 attend special schools. Many more, currently in mainstream schools, would benefit from attending special schools but for most of them it’s a struggle to obtain an EHCP and special schools have far too few places.

Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators, teachers and assistants are under immense pressure. Some children with SEND thrive in the mainstream environment, but for others with more complex needs, more support and funding is necessary.

This is a subject the government has shied away from. As many are aware, the continued cuts in health and education budgets are a political decision rather than one borne of economic necessity. This is a wealthy nation – it’s just a shame that high profits and low taxes for the few are viewed as more important than providing civilised care for the many.

Paul Halas

Stroud