Evacuation Chairs: Schools and Colleges

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Monday 1st December 2025 Westminster Hall

[Jacob Collier]

Yes, absolutely. I will come on to some of the legislation later, but the hon. Member highlights a really important issue and I know that he is a big supporter in this space, so I thank him for that intervention.

Fire and rescue services in England attended 417 primary fires in education premises in the last financial year; primary fires are generally more serious fires causing damage to property or harm to people. Of these primary fires, 355 were accidental fires and 62 were deliberate. When we look at the current legal and guidance framework, the gaps become clear.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

It is nice to see you in the Chair, Sir Alec. I did not know that you would be chairing Westminster Hall. I wish you well.

The provision of evacuation chairs is imperative—all schools and colleges, across the whole of the United Kingdom, must have them for pupils, staff and visitors. Furthermore, where evacuation chairs exist, staff must be trained in their use. Without mandatory training, the presence of a chair alone does not ensure safety. Does the hon. Member agree that there must be an adequate number of staff trained in the use of these chairs so that schools can make full and proper use of them in the event of an emergency?

[Jacob Collier]

I agree with the hon. Member—he must have read what is coming up in my speech. He is absolutely right, and I will come to that point.

Under the Equality Act 2010, schools have duties to avoid substantial disadvantage for disabled pupils, but they are not required to make any physical changes to features of the building for individual children. Instead, they must prepare long-term accessibility plans that look years ahead. That means that a multi-storey school does not have to provide an immediate safe route for a specific child who cannot use stairs. Fire safety legislation requires responsible persons to ensure that everyone can escape safely, but it does not specify how. It does not mandate personal emergency evacuation plans—or PEEPs—for pupils who cannot self-evacuate. It does not require evacuation chairs. It still allows the use of refuge rooms, even though children cannot be left alone in them and cannot legally be lifted by staff.

Current guidance for the evacuation of disabled pupils is simply not sufficient, as has been highlighted by Lucas’s experience. In many cases, PEEPs do not identify the need for evacuation chairs, which means that schools conclude the equipment is unnecessary and therefore never purchase it. PEEPs vary widely in quality, and often lack a clear method for onward evacuation. They need to be significantly strengthened.

In 2015, the Equality and Human Rights Commission commented that schools were in effect exempt from removing barriers to extraction during emergency. That exemption explains why so many pupils remain unprotected. There is also a profound accountability gap: no single regulator or public body is charged with assessing whether disabled pupils can be evacuated safely. No one is tasked with checking whether reasonable adjustments have been made for the purpose of extraction. Ofsted does not inspect evacuation readiness or assess whether disabled pupils can leave a building in an emergency. In that vacuum, schools are left to interpret a patchwork of rules that are not abundantly clear. In a response to a written question from the hon. Member for North Shropshire (Helen Morgan), the Department for Education stated:

“Schools and their responsible bodies are not obliged to notify the department of fires at their premises and we therefore do not routinely collect or record this data…nor information on fire-safety-related repairs.”

PEEPs are not legally mandated in schools. They are planned to become mandatory for residential buildings following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, but remain non-mandatory in school environments, which have the highest numbers of individuals who cannot self-evacuate. That contrast should concern every Member of this House. In some circumstances, staying put and awaiting the fire service is the safest approach. When someone dials 999, fire control operators will issue that safety advice. In Lucas’s case it was not even recognised where he was in the building. That highlights a need for a clearer process for everybody to follow so that all people are accounted for and safely evacuated.

Evacuation chairs are not suitable for every disabled pupil, but they are a safe and internationally recognised non-lifting method for bringing a person downstairs in an emergency. When a child cannot use stairs and has a lesson on the upper floor, the school must have a safe evacuation method. It should not fall on teachers to improvise solutions when an alarm is sounding and smoke is spreading, and it should not fall on a child to wait in fear and hope that someone will remember that they are upstairs.

This petition is measured in its request. It does not call for every school to purchase equipment that is not relevant to their buildings; it calls for evacuation chairs or equivalent equipment to be required when a pupil’s needs make them necessary. It also calls for personal emergency evacuation plans to be prepared for those who cannot self-evacuate and, crucially, for them to contain a clear method for reaching safety. Finally, it calls for a clear national standard, so that schools are not guessing what is expected of them.

The Labour Government have committed to building safer and more inclusive public services, and we promise to learn the lessons of the Grenfell tragedy. We also promise that no one who cannot self-evacuate will be left without proper planning. Schools must be a part of that commitment.

Today, I urge the Government to act. We must ensure that personal emergency evacuation plans are required for every pupil or staff member who cannot self-evacuate. A personal emergency evacuation plan must set out the equipment, the route, the timing and the staff support needed. We must establish national expectations for evacuation equipment—not just a blanket rule, but a clear principle that when a child is taught on an upper floor and cannot use stairs, their school must provide a safe assisted evacuation method.

We must provide consistent guidance and high-quality training, so that staff know exactly what to do. We must make accountability meaningful. It must be clear which organisation checks whether disabled pupils can be evacuated and whether reasonable adjustments have been made for that purpose. Finally, we must design these policies with disabled pupils, their families and school staff at the centre. They know better than any of us what a safe and dignified evacuation looks like.

I will close my remarks by quoting the end of Lucas’s poem—with a plea that we cannot ignore:

“So hear my voice through smoke and ash

Make sure the next can make a dash

For no one’s life should end in flame

Because the world forgot their name”.

Our responsibility as legislators and as a Government is not only to remember the names but to protect those children, to ensure that no child is ever forgotten in a refuge room, and to build a system where a disabled pupil is not an afterthought but a child whose safety is guaranteed. We need to ensure that no student is ever left behind like Lucas was.

I thank those who took the time to meet me in preparation for this debate, and I especially thank Nick and Lucas. I look forward to hearing the contributions of other hon. Members, and to Ministers turning this petition into meaningful action.

Oral Answers to Questions

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Monday 1st December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Bridget Phillipson]

I would love to do that, but sadly what we have heard from the Conservatives this afternoon demonstrates the challenge we face as a Government in engaging seriously on these big and deep questions. We will always engage with Members of Parliament from across the House as we bring forward reforms, but I suggest that the hon. Member asks his hon. Friends to get serious about making change happen.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

The NSPCC revealed that in 2022-23 some 9,000 sexual abuse offences that were recorded by police involved an online element. What has been done in schools to improve children’s safety online and to ensure that whatever changes need to be made are made now?

[Josh MacAlister]

Strengthening our child protection system is a key priority for this Government. Very soon we will bring forward plans for the child protection authority. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill contains a number of measures that would make a big difference to the safety of children across the UK, although those measures are unfortunately being blocked and frustrated by colleagues in other corners of this House.

SEND Provision: Kent

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Wednesday 12th November 2025 Westminster Hall

[Tony Vaughan]

My hon. Friend’s experience is similar to mine. My postbag reflects a kind of ongoing unresponsiveness, which results in people feeling that they are just lost in the system. That is entirely unacceptable.

On a slightly different theme, for SEND children who wish to access a grammar school education in Kent, KCC seems to be refusing requests for extra time for the 11-plus test, in breach of the Equality Act 2010, and without giving any reasons. It is the law that extra time must be granted if a reasonable adjustment is required under that Act, yet Kent’s special access panel unfairly puts roadblocks in the way, stifling opportunities for our young people. The failures stretch beyond Folkestone and Hythe; they blight every corner of Kent, as my hon. Friend the Member for Sittingbourne and Sheppey (Kevin McKenna) said. This is county-wide neglect, shrouded in excuses.

I am not blind to the scale of the challenges, but I will not excuse the years of inaction and mismanagement, first under the Tories and now under Reform UK.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I commend the hon. and learned Gentleman for securing this debate. He is quite right to outline the issue of the growing demand and the complexity of needs. Similar things are happening in all of the United Kingdom, as indicated by the 51% increase in the number of SEND cases in Northern Ireland in seven years. Does the hon. and learned Gentleman agree that it is perhaps now time for a completely different approach to SEND? Does he also agree that the educational needs of and opportunities for children must be prioritised and funded? Otherwise, we will consign a group of children to a life of feeling not good enough and not achieving enough.

[Tony Vaughan]

I completely agree with the hon. Gentleman. That is precisely why we need wholesale change in the system, which is what the Government are preparing to consult on. We will of course listen carefully to the proposals when they come forward.

Let me talk briefly about the system in Kent. Nationally, the demand for SEND support has grown, and EHCP requests have surged by 140% since 2015, as per the National Audit Office. In 2022, Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission handed down an improvement notice for nine glaring SEND failings in Kent. KCC scrambled to implement an accelerated progress plan and, after Government scrutiny in 2024, the notice was lifted. But still: where are the real improvements? My postbag tells a starkly different story.

I must raise concerns about the safety valve programme. The 2021 deal between the Department for Education and KCC was supposed to plug deficits, but in practice it has often made it even harder for families to access vital support. In areas like Kent with safety valve deals, EHCPs have become harder to obtain and parents are forced to jump over ever-higher hurdles. The priorities of the safety valve programme mean that financial savings are trumping the needs of children in Kent.

Sixth-form Provision: Bolsover

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Tuesday 11th November 2025 Westminster Hall

[Natalie Fleet (Bolsover) (Lab)]

I beg to move,

That this House has considered sixth form provision in Bolsover constituency.

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Butler.

Residents of Bolsover must feel like they have déjà vu. My predecessor, Mark Fletcher, first raised the need for a sixth form in Bolsover in Parliament on 2 March 2020. On 7 March 2023, he spoke in this very Chamber about the need for Bolsover to have its own sixth form. On 6 September 2023, the then Prime Minister congratulated Mark on getting a sixth form. So the question that residents rightly ask is: why are we here today? Why have I raised this issue in Parliament five times in the past year? Why have I met Ministers and the Education Secretary to make representations? Why are Andrew Burns, the chief executive officer of Redhill Academy Trust, and Richard Pierpoint, the regional director, here with us to see this debate today?

As one resident succinctly put it, getting the promise is one thing, but making sure that that promise is delivered is another thing entirely. Despite Mark’s determined campaign and the tireless work of The Bolsover school executive headteacher Matt Hall, who sadly cannot be with us today because he has an Ofsted inspection, the previous Government’s promises have not been delivered.

Although I wish I was here congratulating Mark as new pupils enter North Derbyshire university academy, I saw as soon as I was elected that I needed to take up the baton. I will not rest until the young people of Bolsover, Clowne, Shirebrook, Creswell and the surrounding villages have the sixth form that they so desperately need.

Why is this so important? For far too many of our young people, Bolsover today is a story of unfilled potential. Bolsover covers a huge area, from Pinxton to Whitwell, Shirebrook to Wessington, yet there is no sixth form. When it comes to barriers to opportunity, surely one of the biggest is that the closest sixth form is a 30-minute bus ride away at a cost of £25 a week. The inability to access any form of education past the age of 16 without getting on one or two buses and travelling for up to an hour is why so few teenagers attend a school sixth form—only 25% from The Bolsover school, 13% from Heritage high school in Clowne and just 8% from Shirebrook academy do so. For those who live anywhere else in the country, the average figure is three times higher than for Shirebrook.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I commend the hon. Lady for securing this debate and for her campaigning in this Chamber, which has clearly been instrumental—the people here and those at home watching will be greatly inspired by her, so well done. In my constituency in Ards, we need to ensure that our teenagers have support and sound career advice for the next steps, including in the sixth-form college at Regent House school and the South Eastern Regional college; the King’s Trust works alongside schools there. I know that the Minister is always looking for examples of good work, so may I suggest, through the hon. Lady, that he looks at the good things we are doing in Northern Ireland that could address the very issues she is working so well to address for her constituents?

Support for Dyslexic Pupils

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Tuesday 11th November 2025 Westminster Hall

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

It is a real privilege to serve under your chairship, Ms Butler. I thank the hon. Members for Yeovil (Adam Dance) and for Broxtowe (Juliet Campbell) for setting the scene. Nothing tells a story better than personal stories, and both Members gave us their thoughts on where we should be. By doing so, they inspire others out there who have dyslexia, and perhaps other issues, who can maybe say to themselves, “If he or she can do that, perhaps I can do the same.” I know that is the ambition of both Members and hope it will be the case.

I am pretty sure I am the oldest person present; I can look back to the early ’60s as a child at Ballywalter primary school. I remember it well. The boys all tended to play together and the girls played together—maybe that was the way it was back in those days—and there were young boys who definitely had issues. I never knew what they were and never once understood their problems, but I do understand that they had some of the symptoms of dyslexia, and perhaps other things as well. Looking back, I do not think anybody knew what dyslexia, autism or any other issues were. The hon. Member for Edinburgh South West (Dr Arthur) referred to people saying, “They’ll grow out of it”—I heard those words often from the teachers—but they did not.

I will give a Northern Ireland perspective, as I always do in these debates, because it adds to the information and helps the Minster—who has no responsibility at all for Northern Ireland—to understand what we have there. The issue of dyslexia impacts every region of this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Although Northern Ireland does not fall under the direct remit of the Department for Education, sharing information and best practice is vital to ensure that we arm those with dyslexia to fight their way to their chosen career, without the limitation of how they learn affecting their outcomes. The fact is—we all believe this—that they can achieve their goals and job expectations. That is what education should and must do.

In Northern Ireland, studies suggest that unfortunately some 25% of pupils may have some form of dyslexic-type difficulty, while around 10% require additional support. Similar to what others have said, in the 2020-21 school year, over 9,300 children in Northern Ireland were officially listed as having dyslexia or specific literacy difficulties.

The way we view dyslexia has changed massively in recent years, and that is good news. They know what it is now. They did not know when I was at school, back in the ’60s and early ’70s, but it is good news that they know now. Dyslexia is no longer a barrier to education, but we must see it as a different route within education so that people can achieve. This debate is about how that happens, and how they do it here on the mainland.

The hon. Member for Bath (Wera Hobhouse) referred to Jamie Oliver and his event in the Churchill Room; just listen to the story he told and the success he has had. It is not just him; we should look at Lord Sugar and Richard Branson, who are very successful businessmen. Holly Willoughby is successful as a presenter, as is Keira Knightley as an actress. Even our own Princess Beatrice, who delivers speeches so beautifully, speaks eloquently on this issue. When we look at the examples of those who have done well, we must say, “If they can do it, then I’ll tell you what: we can do it as well!” We can see that there is no barrier—and there should be no barrier—to success when we give children the tools to their own learning to help them to succeed and achieve.

It is important to focus on early support and intervention. When it comes to dyslexia, identifying the signs early can make a world of difference. By spotting indicators early, we can create the tailored pathways that help children to thrive in their education and personal development. A bit more time spent now will help them to achieve their dreams and goals. This can and must happen.

I wish the Minister well in responding to the debate. I do not doubt for one second her commitment to try to do better. Schools also need support. Reading recovery schemes are essential, as is ensuring that early years teachers can spot the signs and signpost for assessment and help. The earlier we can spot the need, the easier the intervention will be. The hopes are that by high school time, the child will understand their needs and get support, ranging from a scribe to simply getting their tests on a different kind of paper—something so small can make a big difference.

I conclude with this, Ms Butler, because that cough of yours is getting worse—I say that very kindly. [Laughter.] Schools need the funding and expertise to get the tools right for each child, and that can come only with a confident system in place. We all look to the Minister to provide guidance and support for schools; will she also share that with us in Northern Ireland?

Care Leavers

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Monday 3rd November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Sally Jameson]

I completely agree. As we move through this debate today, I think a theme that will shine through is the need to get rid of what is often a postcode lottery for care leavers.

I want to recognise some of the good work that the Government have already done in this area. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill marks an important step forward in ensuring that support for care leavers endures beyond the age of 18. I welcome the requirement for local authorities to publish a full care offer for care leavers, which will offer clarity and direction. I know that there is already some good practice from my own council in Doncaster, with comprehensive offers of support, including the Staying Put and Staying Close initiatives.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I commend the hon. Lady for bringing this debate forward; I spoke to her beforehand. Does she agree that those leaving care may not have had the financial advice and instruction that they should have had and that many of us take for granted? It is imperative that they are taught how to be self-reliant and are able to manage their finances by themselves. Does she further agree that such classes should also teach these vulnerable young people, who do not have a family to help and protect them, how to protect themselves financially and physically from those who would seek to target them?

[Sally Jameson]

I agree. I think it comes back to the fact that the offer is very different in different areas, and that is something we all want to address.

Oral Answers to Questions

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Monday 20th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I thank the Minister very much for his answers, and I thank the hon. Member for Hartlepool (Mr Brash) for setting the scene so very well. We in Northern Ireland are very keen to learn from the education system here. I believe that the Education Minister from the Northern Ireland Assembly—he is a colleague in my party, by the way, so I understand his interests in these matters—will be keen to listen to and hear the suggestion put forward by the Minister. Will the Minister share his ideas for Hartlepool with us in Northern Ireland to ensure that we can all benefit in this great United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?

[Josh MacAlister]

In another part of my brief, I am already in touch with Ministers in devolved nations regarding children’s social care, and I would be very happy also to share wider learning from the school rebuilding programme.

Educational Assessment System Reform

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Wednesday 15th October 2025 Westminster Hall

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

It is a real pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Lewell. I thank the hon. Member for Hertford and Stortford (Josh Dean) for securing this debate and for the personal story he told. That always helps us to focus on where we are and where we need to be.

The issue of educational assessment affects every single constituency within this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. As every parent, grandparent and teacher knows, exam times are stressful, whether that stress comes from knowing that their child is not studying at all, thinking that they are studying too much, knowing that they are stressed out themselves or worrying that they will not reach their potential. All of it seems incredibly stressful and worrisome. I can still remember the advice that my mother gave to me—wee wise woman that she is, now 94 years of age—“Do your best, work hard and leave the rest to God.” I think that is where we all want to be. It did not do me any harm in my life.

At exam results time in my constituency, I always strive to tell my story. I am the MP for Strangford. I did my GCSEs; I did not do A-levels. The path to success does not always have to be academic. I say that with great respect to those who decide to go that way—I am not against that. It is about making sure that everyone has a chance. I know many businessmen and women who left school at 16 and are multimillionaires. Hard work and good character are their qualifications. My point is that people can achieve their goals in other ways. Exams are not the be-all and end-all. However, they are undoubtedly part of life, and rightly so. Any teacher will tell us that assessment is needed to ensure that a child is getting the help they need and understanding the things they need to.

We are all aware that there are more children with differing needs, and they may well require different assessments. Official stats show a significant rise in autism diagnoses among school-aged children, with the prevalence rate in Northern Ireland increasing from approximately 1.2% in 2009 to 5.8%. However, we know that a diagnosis of autism is an indication not of the level of intelligence, but that a different approach is needed to get the best from that child. That is the way to do it. It does not mean that they are less able; it just means that we need to do it a different way. That is what we need to look at: how do we tailor educational assessment to the large range of needs that mainstream education is dealing with? I believe that that begins with support for teachers in lesson planning to ensure that they can reach a full class that may have a range of very different needs.

The hon. Member for Hertford and Stortford raised some points about assessments being changed, but I believe that our entire approach needs to change. We need an approach that values vocational callings as well as academic ones, and in which children feel that they succeed not because they managed to pass maths, but because they learned their skills well—a system in which academic children can thrive and hands-on learning can be equal.

That will not come by changing exam structures, but by changing the system of education from the ground up. I know that it is the desire of teachers throughout this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to help children to achieve their best, find job fulfilment and be confident in their strengths. I look to my grandchildren—I have six of them, from the age of three to 16—and know that their futures, in each of their own unique ways, are bright. We need an education system that facilitates those ways. That is the change we all need to achieve.

Children with SEND: Assessments and Support

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Monday 15th September 2025 Westminster Hall

[Neil Duncan-Jordan]

As I am a keen universalist, I have to agree with my hon. Friend.

There is also a bureaucracy to navigate. It takes massive amounts of time, effort and knowledge of process for parents to navigate the system to get the support they need. That puts parents with lower educational attainment, complex personal needs or busy working lives at a disadvantage. It is no wonder that 62% of parent-carers of SEND children are not in paid employment.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

Today, I attended the Adoption Barometer event, which many other hon. Members probably also attended. It showed that adopted and fostered children can have not only trauma and other medical issues but educational issues—it is a double whammy for those who look after those children. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that, in summing up, perhaps the Minister should consider the double issues facing foster parents and foster children?

Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Thursday 4th September 2025 Westminster Hall

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

It is, as always, a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Lewell— I think I have done so three or four times this week already. I thank the hon. Member for Mid Sussex (Alison Bennett) for bringing this issue to the House and for the passion she obviously has for this subject. She brought that to us all really well, and we thank her for that.

As Members will be aware, I always give a Northern Ireland perspective to these debates. Northern Ireland offers support through the regional adoption and fostering services and the health and social care trusts, providing an assessment of need and funding for therapy for eligible families. Although the process and funding structure differ from the system we have here—the ASGSF—the issue is exactly the same. Demand far outstrips funding, and the bottom line is that children’s lives and futures are on the line.

It has been well established by numerous studies that cared-for children do better in kinship care, which enables them to be with those they have a connection with, those who will care for them because they have that biological connection and probably a very strong relationship. I am sold on the benefits of kinship care, as others are. Evidence shows that kinship care provides better long-term outcomes and a safe and stable home for children and young people who are likely to have experienced significant early life adversity, such as loss, trauma or neglect.

The impact of the lack of funding is clearly heading towards families who are struggling, and cannot afford to fund another child with additional emotional needs, saying that they cannot provide kinship care. We must do all we can to prevent that outcome in order to get the best outlook for the child, and because of the financial burden that care places on social services. I know that the Minister will look at this very honestly.

Research from the Centre for Care estimates that kinship care is worth some £4.3 billion a year to the Government, which is equivalent to nearly 40% of the entire children’s service budget for England. If that care was no longer available, that is a lot of money—another black hole that the Government will have to try to find the money for. We must not let that happen. To address the rising demand for children requiring alternative forms of care, most commonly foster care, which costs taxpayers millions each year, we need to ensure that kinship carers receive help and support. That is essential to the entire care system, whether in Northern Ireland or England. Funding to allow support and help must match the needs of children whose difficult upbringing or shocking change in circumstances has the potential to derail them for life.

We have a responsibility to ensure that cared for children are exactly that: cared for, protected and supported, with hope for the future.