Amanda Martin, Member of Parliament for Portsmouth North, has welcomed the visit of Minister for School Standards, Georgia Gould, to Portsmouth, where the Minister met with local headteachers and pupils ahead of next year’s landmark reforms to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system.
The visit forms part of the Labour Government’s commitment to deliver the biggest national conversation on SEND in a generation, ensuring that families in Portsmouth are directly shaping the reforms designed to rebuild a broken system inherited from the Conservatives.
During the visit, Minister Gould heard first-hand from Portsmouth school leaders about what is working for children with SEND locally and what urgently needs to change. Discussions focused on early intervention, access to local provision, and the pressures schools and families face in securing timely support.
The Minister’s roundtable in Portsmouth is one of a series of face-to-face events being run across the country, in partnership with the Council for Disabled Children. Alongside five national online events, the programme will provide more than 100,000 opportunities for families, schools, and professionals to help shape reform and restore confidence in the SEND system.
Amanda Martin MP for Portsmouth North said: “I know from speaking to parents, carers and schools across Portsmouth that improving support for children with SEND is one of the biggest priorities in our city. Far too many families have been left fighting a system that doesn’t listen and doesn’t deliver.
“That’s why I was delighted to welcome Minister Georgia Gould to Portsmouth today. Hearing directly from our headteachers and from children themselves is essential as Labour lays the foundations for long-term, lasting reform.
“The expertise in our schools is incredible but the strain they face is real. Today’s conversations will ensure the voices of Portsmouth families are shaping the national reform the system desperately needs.
“If you’re a parent, carer or education worker with views or experiences to share, please take part in this national conversation. This government is listening, and we want Portsmouth to be at the forefront of shaping a fairer, more effective SEND system.”
Minister for School Standards, Georgia Gould, said: “For too long families have felt unheard and left to battle a system that too often doesn’t deliver for their children.
“That’s why we are putting lived experience at the heart of our reforms, and why it was important to hear directly from families, teachers and leaders in Portsmouth today. Their insight will help us build a SEND system that works for every child, in every community, for the long term.”
The Government’s engagement campaign builds on over 100 listening sessions already held with families nationally. Following publication of the Schools White Paper next year, a full public consultation will continue the conversation.
Labour has already taken significant steps to improve outcomes for children with SEND, including:
- £1 billion in additional high-needs funding
- £740 million to create more specialist SEND places in mainstream schools
- Expanded early language and neurodiversity support, including the PINS programme
- Best Start Family Hubs to ensure early identification and support for additional needs
Ministers will continue visiting schools across the country to learn from best practice and hear where the system is still falling short.
