Starmer's next big battle: reforming the system for special needs children

Provision for pupils needing extra help could turn into a 'mess like welfare' if parents are ignored, Lib-Dem leader Ed Davey warns

- Rachel Sylvester

Reform of special educational needs and disabilities (Send) provision is gearing up to be the next big political battle for the government.

Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, wants to drive through changes that would allow more Send pupils to be taught in mainstream schools. She is planning to introduce additional training for teachers and more specialist units for those pupils within mainstream schools.

A greater priority will be put on early intervention, with the new Best Start family centres all having a trained Send specialist.

But Phillipson has failed to guarantee that parents will continue to have the same legally enforceable rights to ensure their children get the help they need. There could be changes to education, health and care plans (EHCPs) that guarantee additional funding and extra support for Send pupils. Parents could also lose the right to choose a particular school with special provisions for their child.

Since 2015 the number of young people with an EHCP has more than doubled. The cost of Send provision has reached £12bn a year, up from £8bn in 2021-22. Councils are spending more than £1bn a year on taxis alone to transport Send pupils to and from special schools.

Senior Labour figures are warning that the plan risks becoming "welfare mk II", with dozens of MPs prepared to rebel against what they see as further Treasury-driven cost-cutting measures.

Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader who cares for his disabled son, believes the Send system is in "desperate need" of reform. "I'm really worried that if the government doesn't listen to parents and just focuses on saving money, this could turn into another mess like welfare. I hope the prime minister will work with us to reform Send in a way that strengthens children's rights, instead of rolling them back."