Parents, students, teachers, support staff and trade unions met in St Thomas’ Square in Newport on Thursday to raise concerns over a ‘local scandal’ – that hundreds of Island children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are being failed.
The rally was organised by Maria Villa Vine with the help of the local Save Our Schools/SEND parents group. It was sponsored by the National Education Union and Unison.
According to the NEU, there is a lack of accountability, a postcode lottery of provision, a rising cost of legal appeal and a lack of training. In addition, there is said to be poor post-19 support.
Peter Shreeve, local joint secretary of the National Education Union has said:
“Robert Halfon MP, chair of the Education Select Committee recently said of the SEND system: ‘It’s a big mess’.
“No-one thinks the reformed SEND system is working and there is a clear disparity between what the Government wanted to happen and recent parental experience. What caused this poor experience? According to one head teacher survey – sustained and deep cuts!
“Since 2015, 9 out of 10 local authorities have lost out on vital funding for children who need the most support. We are one. On the Island the total cash shortfall in High Needs funding since 2015 is £5,663,267, or a loss of nearly 28% – the difference in age weighted cost of ECHP per child from 2015/16 to 2018/19 (All figures in 2018/9 prices.)
“Last year a FOI investigation by the BBC found the Isle of Wight had the third longest delay in the country for providing children who have special educational needs, with a finalised education, health and care plan (EHC). The expectation is 20 weeks. The longest on the island was 1,005 days (over two and a half years).
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Mr Shreeve adds:
“Last December in her annual report, Ofsted chief inspector, Amanda Spielman highlighted SEND provision as ‘a national scandal’. It is also a local scandal. Between 2015-19 the numbers of students with ECH plans has increased by 65%. In addition, the numbers of Island pupils with ECH plans not in school have more than doubled since last year.
“This May, at the final hearing of the House of Commons Education Select Committee’s yearlong SEND inquiry, SEND minister Nadhim Zahawi said repeatedly about provision: ‘It’s a journey’.
“If SEND success is a journey, it is one with no end in sight and what’s even worse is we are driving in the dark with one headlight and that’s none too bright. Let’s shine a light on this local scandal and let’s give special educational needs and disabilities the support it needs!”
UPDATE MONDAY 3RD JUNE – A spokesperson for the Isle of Wight Council has today said:
“Reforms were made in the 2014 Children with SEN and Disability Act to make processes around identification and securing support for children with special educational needs (SEN) quicker and more straightforward for parents.
“On the Isle of Wight we have responded well to these reforms and the latest figures for the Island show that 95.8 per cent of families are receiving their Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) within the 20 weeks from the date of a request for assessment.
“We have a range of support on offer for children with SEN both with and without EHCPs and are well equipped to ensure positive outcomes for all our children and young people. While it is the case that nationally families are waiting beyond the statutory timescales for the EHC process to be undertaken, this is certainly not the case on the Isle of Wight.”
A superb effort from the parents however this will make no difference at all
When you have a minority government and a broken political system that thinks it is ok to enact “austerity” spending cuts yet spend £4,000,000,000 (4 billion pounds) on their palace this is what you get. We need democratic, accountable and representative government.