Margaret Mulholland, SEND and Inclusion Specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, responds to the announcement that the Education Committee has launched an inquiry to find solutions to the crisis in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision.
“We welcome the select committee’s focus on this crucial topic. The SEND system in its current form is unsustainable with the level of need greatly outstripping the available funding and resources. This situation leaves children without the timely support that they require, families feeling desperate and frustrated, and schools under immense pressure. These are not new problems and yet meaningful action to address them has so far remained elusive. We look forward to providing evidence to the select committee, seeing its recommendations, and working with the government on solutions which must be implemented with a real sense of urgency.”