Dame Christine Lenehan, Director of the Council for Disabled Children (part of the National Children’s Bureau), said:
“The National Audit Office has provided stark evidence of the growing numbers of children with complex needs and EHCPs. It is also clear that funding has not risen to meet these children’s needs, placing intolerable strain on school and local authority budgets. Even the extra cash promised for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in the education spending settlement will be insufficient to match the scale of the challenge.
“But the noise about money in the system is drowning out the need for a clear, inclusive vision of education which fully meets the needs of children wherever they are educated.
“In particular, pressure on special schools is leaving many with very limited aspirations for the children they look after. And hard-pressed mainstream schools look to strict behaviour policies to solve the problems of children that often have their root in impairment, mental health or deprivation.”
Notes to editors
For further information, please contact the National Children’s Bureau media office: media@ncb.org.uk / rnewson@ncb.org.uk / 07721 097 033.
For urgent enquiries out of office-hours call: 07721 097 033.
About the Council for Disabled Children
The Council for Disabled Children (CDC) is the umbrella body for the disabled children's sector and is part of the National Children’s Bureau. We want disabled children and children with special educational needs (SEN) to have full and happy childhoods; fulfil their potential; and be active within the community. We do this by influencing Government policy, working with local agencies to translate policy into practice and producing guidance on issues affecting the lives of disabled children.
For more information visit www.councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk
About the National Children’s Bureau
For more than 50 years, the National Children’s Bureau has worked to champion the rights of children and young people in the UK. We interrogate policy and uncover evidence to shape future legislation and develop more effective ways of supporting children and families. As a leading children’s charity, we take the voices of children to the heart of Government, bringing people and organisations together to drive change in society and deliver a better childhood for the UK. We are united for a better childhood.
For more information visit www.ncb.org.uk