Exeter MP Steve Race hosts SEND roundtables with parents and teachers to improve support for children

Exeter MP Steve Race has brought together local families and school staff to share their experiences of the city’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system.

The roundtable meetings, held last week, gave parents an opportunity to speak about delays in receiving Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), difficulties with funding, extensive paperwork, and what they described as poor communication from Devon County Council.

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Several parents told the MP that they feel the current system is failing to meet their children’s needs.

Later in the day, teachers and other school staff met with Mr. Race to outline their concerns. Issues raised included the neglect of the health and care aspects of EHCPs, shortages of key professionals such as educational psychologists and speech and language therapists, and insufficient support for school SENDCOs.

Both groups were asked for suggestions on how the system could be improved. Ideas included better training for staff, clearer communication between parents and schools, and an expansion of SEND hubs to provide more targeted support.

The feedback from Exeter will contribute to national conversations on reforming the SEND system. The Labour government has announced plans to put inclusion at the heart of schools policy, alongside funding to improve specialist provision and a new “Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group” to strengthen support for children in mainstream education.

In 2023, only one in five pupils with SEND met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of primary school, prompting warnings that the system is failing children and harming life chances.

Steve Race MP said: “I know from speaking to parents, carers and schools across my constituency that support for children with additional needs is a top priority. Since being elected, it has consistently been one of the most common reasons people contact me for help.

It was really helpful to spend time with parents and staff to think about how we can make sure children are getting the right support for them in schools that are backed by the tools and funding they need.”

The government has pledged further funding to make classrooms more accessible and to support local authorities in stabilising SEND services.