Ipswich Star Column 12.2.26: Children with SEND are finally being heard

The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system is one that works against families, not for them.

Seven years ago, this paper’s front page had the stark headline - ‘We must be heard’ - alongside the faces of children who had been so badly failed. 

That moment should have marked a turning point. Instead, progress since then has been far too slow, and for many families, the exhausting fight has only intensified.

SEND is now, rightly, recognised as a national crisis, but children and families in Ipswich and Suffolk have been failed for a decade.

It is something that matters deeply to me, and I have worked on these issues for a decade. As an opposition councillor, I helped develop plans to deliver more than 800 new specialist school places across the county. I was proud to have done so, but I cautioned at the time it could only ever be the first phase, not a magic bullet for a system plagued by widespread problems.

Those warnings were not heeded, and we have continued to see a succession of damning reports into Suffolk County Council’s SEND provision.

Too many children have been left waiting months, and often years, for the support they are entitled to. Thousands of suspensions have been issued to children with SEND, and many families have been forced into home education not out of choice, but desperation.

I have been talking to Minister Georgia Gould about SEND for some time, and I am grateful she came to Ipswich to speak with parents and teachers about their experiences to inform changes to this broken system - a huge thank you to the Willows Primary School for hosting us.

Reforms included in the forthcoming Schools White Paper must be shaped by the lived experiences of families and schools. Any decisions made nationally, have to truly reflect the needs of families and schools in reality. This is not an abstract conversation – these measures need to be life-changing.

This week, our Labour Government’s made a seismic and unprecedented decision to write off more than £150 million of Suffolk County Council’s historic SEND deficit. However, while this provides immediate financial relief and protects vital services from collapse, Suffolk County Council must take accountability for the years of failure they have overseen. I know funding is just part of the story when it comes to this broken system.

After years of neglect, the direction of travel is finally changing. Our Government has committed £3 billion of capital funding for mainstream units and special schools, and a £200 million landmark SEND teacher training programme.

More than 100 new SEND places are being delivered in Suffolk, including a new 24-place unit at Ipswich Academy. The new Education Estates Strategy goes further, setting out a 10-year plan to create schools that are inclusive by design. Over time, every secondary school will have an inclusion base, a dedicated space that bridges the gap between mainstream and specialist provision. Schools already using these models report better attendance, improved behaviour and a stronger sense of belonging.

However, while critically important and welcome, I know money alone won't solve the myriad of issues facing SEND - structure, culture, and accountability are crucial too if we are to transform this system. The Schools White Paper has to get the very roots of this rotten system if change is going to be felt and sustained.

For so many families, the SEND system has meant years of being ignored, dismissed or worn down. Children and families are finally being heard, and I will continue to fight to deliver real change at both a local and a national level, so that every child with SEND in Ipswich and Suffolk receives the support they need and deserve.