King’s Speech

Baroness Bousted Excerpts

Tuesday 19th May 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Bousted (Lab)]

My Lords, I congratulate all the noble Lords and noble Baronesses on their excellent maiden speeches. In particular, I congratulate my noble friend Lord Hobby, who, when I was general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, was general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers. When the noble Baroness, Lady Morgan, said that he said things very gently about which other noble Lords and Baronesses on the Benches were more robust, I think she was looking at me, and perhaps the noble Baroness, Lady Blower. But there is room for everyone in the House, is there not, and for different styles of address?

I welcome the Government’s ambition that the UK should be a country fair for all and a place where every child is included in the nation’s highest aspirations. Central to this ambition, in this legislative cycle, is the Bill being brought forward to raise standards in schools and to introduce generational reforms of the special educational needs system in the education for all Bill. The Government have already signalled the seriousness of their intent to mend the utterly broken SEND system they inherited. The £5 billion they are giving councils to pay off 90% of the debts built up supporting children and young people with SEND is clear evidence of that intent, staving off what would, in 2028, have been widespread council bankruptcies.

A long time ago now, in the 1990s, I worked in a school where children with physical and mental disabilities were included in the mainstream life of school, with a special unit which supported their inclusion. It was a wonderful place to work and to learn. Many of the children who had the support of the inclusion unit went on to achieve marvellous things academically, socially and professionally, which they would not have been able to do if they had been confined to a more narrow, restrictive curriculum, which at that time was usual in special schools. That school was Whitmore High School in Harrow, and its head teacher was a future Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert.

I applaud the Secretary of State Bridget Phillipson, for whom SEND inclusion is clearly a passion, for grappling with the Treasury to release £1.6 billion over the next three years to support SEND inclusion and to equip staff with the knowledge and skills needed to deliver excellence.

I should declare an interest: I am chair of the Teaching Commission. Our second report, to be launched this July, focuses on the implications for teachers and leaders of the 2028 dual introduction of the revised national curriculum and the SEND reforms, which I have already said I wholly support. However, I have to express a key concern, which was one expressed to the commission by a series of expert witnesses: namely, that the insufficient reduction of only 10% in exam time for GCSE students and the lack of consideration in the curriculum and assessment review, led by Professor Becky Francis, of adaptive, modular and authentic assessment methods which could better support learners with SEND, mental health needs or anxiety, might limit and constrain inclusion.

The delay until post-16 in providing a pathway for students who cannot access the mainstream curriculum has also been questioned. Why, witnesses asked, did students with low prior attainment and SEND have to fail at GCSE before they were offered level 1 and 2 qualifications post 16? The witnesses were clear that this delay will drive a deficit in inclusion.

A coherent alignment of curriculum, assessment and accountability is essential. Without this, the Government’s ambitions for inclusion, improved belonging and reduced attainment gaps may remain out of reach, and policy incoherence will continue to frustrate and demoralise the profession. I ask the Government to look again at this issue. The curriculum will not become more inclusive if its assessment remains exclusive. This is not what I want and I know it is not what the Government want. I hope that this issue can be resolved prior to 2028. There is still time and the will to get this right.