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UK Parliament - Children, Schools and Families Committee: Reports and Publications.
The Children, Schools and Families Committee were established on 6 November 2007. The formal remit of the Committee is to examine the administration, expenditure and policy of the Department for Children, schools and Families.
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Government response to special needs report 'missed opportunity', say MPs
The Children, Schools and Families Committee has today published the Government's reply to its predecessor committee's report on Special Educational Needs: Assessment and Funding. The Chairman of the Committee, and former Chairman of the Education and Skills Committee, Barry Sheerman MP, said:
"As a Committee we believe the Government's response is a missed opportunity. We welcome some of the commitments the Government makes, but we are very disappointed at its reply on the major issue.
"It appears that the Government is still unwilling to concede that a national framework for special needs education, and provision maps for each area, should be introduced to make the system more transparent and allow parents to make more informed decisions. For the Government to say that the SEN Code of Practice provides the national framework is to misunderstand what the Committee recommended. We were seeking a framework for provision, not a framework for procedure.
"However, we welcome the establishment of the group under Brian Lamb to look at ways of increasing parental confidence in the system, the pilot the Government promises on making assessment more holistic in line with the principles of the Common Assessment Framework, and the promise of guidance on the role of educational psychologists.
"I have no doubt that the review of SEN by Ofsted in 2009 will make recommendations for significant changes to the way in which children's special educational needs are met. I hope that the Government will be willing to act on any such recommendations at that time. In the meantime, it will be our duty as a Committee to continue to hold the Government to account on this key issue."
Ends.
On 25 October 2007 the Education and Skills Committee published its Tenth Report of
Session 2006–07, Special Educational Needs: Assessment and Funding (HC 1077). The
Government’s response was received on 23 January 2008, and is published as Appendix 1
to this Report.
Special Educational Needs (Information) Bill 2007-08
Summary of the Bill
The Bill proposes to amend the Education Act 1996 in relation to the provision and publication of information about children who have special educational needs (SEN).
Key areas
Seeks to highlight both the quality and efficiency of special educational needs support for children within schools and Local Education Authorities by ensuring the publication of outcomes for children with SEN.
Intends to assist in the rolling out of best practice by enabling a more informed assessment of special educational needs policies.
Former Education and Skills Committee:Reports and Publications.
Current Session 2006 - 2007
Special Educational Needs: Assessment and Funding - 25 October 2007 - Tenth Report
" One of the key issues in making provision for children with special educational needs is
ensuring that parents have confidence that professionals are genuinely seeking to provide
appropriate support for their children, a point that was made by many of those who
submitted evidence. That was the basis for our previous recommendation on separating
funding from assessment. This does not mean that we are questioning the integrity of the
professionals involved; it is rather that tensions in the system can give rise to mistrust,
unfounded as it may be, which helps no one. "
Special Educational Needs: Assessment and Funding - 25 October 2007 - Tenth Report
" One of the key issues in making provision for children with special educational needs is
ensuring that parents have confidence that professionals are genuinely seeking to provide
appropriate support for their children, a point that was made by many of those who
submitted evidence. That was the basis for our previous recommendation on separating
funding from assessment. This does not mean that we are questioning the integrity of the
professionals involved; it is rather that tensions in the system can give rise to mistrust,
unfounded as it may be, which helps no one. "
Special Educational Needs - 5 July 2006 - Third Report
" In 2005 around 18% of all pupils in school in England were categorised as having some sort of special educational need (SEN) (1.5 million children). Around 3% of all children (250,000) had a statement of SEN and around 1% of all children were in special schools (90,000)—which represents approximately one third of children with statements. With such a large number of children involved, it is important to recognise that many children are receiving the education they need in an appropriate setting. It is equally important, however, to highlight the difficulties faced by a large number of parents for whom the system is failing to meet the needs of their children. This inquiry gives careful consideration – based on the large quantity of written and oral evidence received - to where the SEN system is failing and considers how the Government can improve outcomes for all children with SEN and disabilities in England. "
Previous Sessions 2005 - 2006
Special Educational Needs - 5 July 2006 - Third Report
" In 2005 around 18% of all pupils in school in England were categorised as having some sort of special educational need (SEN) (1.5 million children). Around 3% of all children (250,000) had a statement of SEN and around 1% of all children were in special schools (90,000)—which represents approximately one third of children with statements. With such a large number of children involved, it is important to recognise that many children are receiving the education they need in an appropriate setting. It is equally important, however, to highlight the difficulties faced by a large number of parents for whom the system is failing to meet the needs of their children. This inquiry gives careful consideration – based on the large quantity of written and oral evidence received - to where the SEN system is failing and considers how the Government can improve outcomes for all children with SEN and disabilities in England. "
Children, Schools and Families Committee
Parliamentary material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO on behalf of Parliament. Material obtained for this website and quoted from: Committee Publications pages produced by the The Stationery Office. Parliamentary licence: P2008000026 - PSI Licence: C2008000188 - M r A Gurbutt
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