The current system for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is “lose, lose, lose”, costing a “fortune” and not providing the “right service”, the education secretary has admitted.
Gillian Keegan also said parents were using the system of tribunals to get their children into “very expensive independent schools”, which drives up costs and creates a “tale of two outcomes”.
During a Q&A at the Schools North East conference this afternoon, the minister said SEND diagnoses were not happening “early enough”, and that government reforms would explore “different pathways to do that” through “multi-agency” work.
“SEND’s very interesting, because we’re spending a fortune. So the Treasury are not happy, the local authorities are not happy. But then nobody’s happy with the service.
“So it’s like a lose, lose, lose. We haven’t got the right service.”
