Facebook Pixel Labour faces new fight over special needs education | Sunday Express - newspaper - Read this story on Magzter.com
Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD

Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD

Get unlimited access to 10,000+ magazines, newspapers and Premium stories for just

$149.99
 
$74.99/Year

Try GOLD - Free

Labour faces new fight over special needs education

Sunday Express

|

August 03, 2025

Fed-up parents bombard Ofsted and brace for big shake-up in support

- By Jonathan Walker WHITEHALL EDITOR

PARENTS have submitted more than 10,000 formal complaints about special needs education to Ofsted over the past three years.

Latest figures showed they accounted for one in five received by the school inspectors.

The scale of the conflict between parents and schools was revealed as the Department for Education gears up to announce controversial reforms to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in the autumn.

Ministers are considering cutting the number of education, health and care (EHC) plans issued to children, which give youngsters a legal right to support.

The DfE insists no decision has been made but parents are up for a fight and Labour MPs are prepared for another battle after forcing the Government to carry out U-turns over cuts to winter fuel payments and disability benefits.

Ofsted received 10,260 complaints about state-funded schools that had an element of concern about SEND provision between 2022 and 2024.

MORE STORIES FROM Sunday Express

Sunday Express

Lights bring colour to life

I am lucky that through my ultra running races I have had the opportunity to see so many places and phenomena that I would never have seen otherwise.

time to read

1 mins

March 01, 2026

Sunday Express

Sunday Express

TOP VIK A WORK OF ART

Swedish superstar Gyokeres is backed to kick on for the Gunners and break record set by Chelsea's Drogba

time to read

2 mins

March 01, 2026

Sunday Express

Sunday Express

Scout Dwayne: North Pole left me cold but did change my life

CHIEF Scout Dwayne Fields says it was an anticlimax when he became the first black Briton to reach the magnetic North Pole - but it changed the course of his life.

time to read

1 min

March 01, 2026

Sunday Express

WAR ERUPTS ACROSS MIDDLE EAST

THE WORLD held its breath as hundreds were killed when the United States and Israel carried out a series of devastating air strikes across Iran — with chaos erupting across the Middle East as Tehran retaliated.

time to read

4 mins

March 01, 2026

Sunday Express

EVANILSON AT HIS BRAZIL-LIANT BEST IN BRUISING BATTLE

MARCUS TAVERNIER produced one of the crosses of the season for Evanilson to rescue a point for Bournemouth.

time to read

2 mins

March 01, 2026

Sunday Express

Sir Keir's safe for now... just like Sleepy Joe

LABOUR under Sir Keir Starmer has been likened to the Democrats under “Sleepy” Joe Biden as the party reeled at the loss of a safe seat to the Greens.

time to read

1 mins

March 01, 2026

Sunday Express

Sunday Express

Monarchy weathering the storm

SUPPORT for the Royal Family has not faltered in the wake of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s arrest, helped by the huge popularity of the Prince and Princess of Wales.

time to read

1 mins

March 01, 2026

Sunday Express

Sunday Express

Caribbean beyond the beaches

To get the proper flavour of Aruba, KATHRYN WILLIAMS tucks into the island's colourful culinary and art scene

time to read

3 mins

March 01, 2026

Sunday Express

Sunday Express

WHY YOUR EARACHE ISN'T ALWAYS AN INFECTION

Ear pain often peaks in winter - we look at the hidden triggers and how you can avoid them

time to read

2 mins

March 01, 2026

Sunday Express

Benfica deliver bans over racist gestures

BENFICA have banned five supporters for racist behaviour during their Champions League playoff first-leg defeat to Real Madrid earlier this month.

time to read

1 min

March 01, 2026

Listen

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size