Bridget Phillipson’s 10-year plan for special educational needs and disabilities (Send) in England has been unveiled as a generous, inclusive vision, but critics warn it risks parental rights and could be undone by a future Reform government. The plan includes £1.6bn over three years for early identification of needs in mainstream schools and £1.8bn for speech and language therapists and educational psychologists. However, the shift from specialist to mainstream schooling is described as a high-stakes experiment.
Teachers in mainstream schools have expressed concerns about increased workloads and insufficient funding for training. The £1.6bn, according to the website Special Needs Jungle, falls short of allowing each school to recruit even one new teaching assistant. Parents and professionals also note that mainstream class sizes and sensory overload may limit the transformation the government envisions.
The plan aims to reverse the trend under the coalition government, which saw a 25% drop in Send pupils in mainstream schools between 2012 and 2019, while special school numbers rose by a third. Phillipson’s emphasis on inclusion may face pushback from academies and free schools focused on rigid discipline and attainment.
Despite the government’s optimistic tone, the demonisation of disabled children and their parents in public discourse remains a concern. A recent Facebook post offering £150 for a mother to criticise Send spending highlights the hostility. Labour’s plan, while well-intentioned, may struggle to overcome these challenges and ensure genuine inclusion without adequate resources.
