I have worked in and around our education system for some time. In a previous role I worked at the Department for Education as a Senior Advisor. I was involved in SEND reforms then. My wife is a teacher, and I was a Chair of Governors at a Federation of Primary Schools in Suffolk. I also have young children. I understand the problems with our SEND system; an evolving level of demand, lack of appropriate early support, bottleneck's in application for EHCPs, a lack of educational psychologists, and a lack of specialist placements.
We need to overhaul the whole system. But there are steps, in the near term, that we can take to improve the outcomes for students with SEND. This week I wrote to Suffolk County Council Cabinet Member for SEND, Andrew Reid, about investing in early intervention programmes that support language and social-emotional development. Children with language and social-emotional support, end up doing better at school. They are less likely to fall behind, and less likely to get trapped in a SEND system that does not meet their needs.
I want EVERY primary school in Suffolk to have access to these early intervention programmes. I hope SCC can help me make this a reality.
