Stewart Jackson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Jackson on 2014-06-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department has taken to support children with special educational needs in (a) Peterborough and (b) England.

Mr Edward Timpson

Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014, to be implemented from this September, introduces the largest reform to the system for special educational needs and disability for 30 years. It builds on the experience of 20 pathfinders and will place children and families at the heart of a more integrated system focused on improving outcomes for children and young people.

The Department for Education is providing substantial funding to local areas to deliver the reforms. Last week, the Department announced an injection of an additional £45.2 million in 2014-15 on top of the £70 million Special Educational Needs (SEN) Reform Grant already provided this year for implementing the reforms. Peterborough will receive £200,615 of this most recent funding on top of the £307,940 SEN Reform Grant it has already received.

We are also providing £30 million over two years to voluntary, community and private sector organisations to provide independent supporters to families to help them navigate the new system.Bids to offer independent supporters have been invited by 25 June. The Department for Education’s strategic partner, the Council for Disabled Children, will then work with interested organisations to secure support for families across the whole of England.

This is supplemented by a wide range of activity to support implementation, from Pathfinder local authorities sharing their experience particular aspects of the reforms, through to funding for a range of specialist voluntary and community sector experts to provide materials and support for professionals on specific conditions.