Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

Emily Darlington Excerpts
Thursday 24th October 2024

(4 weeks ago)

Commons Chamber
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Catherine McKinnell Portrait Catherine McKinnell
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My hon. Friend raises an important point. We need to move to a more sustainable footing in the longer term and make sure that councils can plan ahead. That is something we are looking at.

Emily Darlington Portrait Emily Darlington (Milton Keynes Central) (Lab)
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An entire generation of Milton Keynes children with SEND needs has been let down by the previous Government. In addition, the cuts to local councils and schools have made the situation much worse, particularly in respect of high-level teaching assistants, who are crucial to ensuring early detection of and ongoing support for children with SEND in mainstream education. Will the Minister ensure that the school support staff who do that important work are included in this essential review to support children in Milton Keynes?

Catherine McKinnell Portrait Catherine McKinnell
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Absolutely. I am always very careful to say that we thank and applaud both the teachers in our schools and the incredible support staff, who not only support teachers in their role but ensure that every school can function and provide the opportunities that we know will enable all children to thrive.