Wolverhampton MP calls for urgent action to support SEN pupils
The MP welcomed the government's commitment to spending £740m on creating new 10,000 SEND spaces but said the current system was "financially unsustainable" without change."Since 2019, we have seen no consistent improvement in outcomes for children with SEND," he said."We must, therefore, take bold, decisive steps to reform our SEND system to ensure that every child, irrespective of their needs or background, receives the proper support they rightly deserve."The government said in the spending review it would be setting out plans in a white paper in the autumn to reform the system in England.According to annual statistics from the Department of Education, the number of school pupils in England receiving support for SEN had risen to more than 1.7 million.Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, Juss said children in the "most deprived areas" of Wolverhampton were significantly more likely to require additional support than those in more affluent neighbourhoods.He said state special schools in his area were "under strain" and "operating beyond capacity," despite the tireless efforts of staff."This is not just a matter of education but a matter of social justice," the MP added. "We must invest in early years intervention and deliver a holistic programme of support."
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