Our local Labour MP has written to the Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson regarding reforms to the SEND system. He has made this letter public, and it is available to read below.
The Rt Hon Bridget Phillipson MP
Secretary of State for Education, Orchard House, 20 Great Smith St, London, SW1P 3BT
16th October 2025
Dear Bridget,
Reforming the SEND system – reflecting the views of teachers and parents in Welwyn Hatfield
Reforming our SEND system is one of the greatest challenges of this Parliament. It is a moral imperative that we better support children with additional needs through the education system, so that they feel safe, valued and are given every opportunity to thrive.
In late September and early October 2025, I hosted just under 50 people from Welwyn Hatfield with personal experience of our SEND system. Across three meetings (two with parents, one with teachers in local schools) I chaired discussions that were focused on how we can and should reform the system for the better.
I want to put on record my sincere thanks to everyone who took time out of their days to be a part of this conversation. Many people bravely shared deeply personal stories about how the status quo has failed their children for too long and why they are desperate for change – not just for their own families, but for those who will follow in the future.
This note is my summary of our discussions and is being sent to the Department of Education and Hertfordshire County Council. It will also be published on my website.
I am intentionally submitting this note ahead of the Government’s planned white paper on the future of the SEND system, which we expect to be published in the weeks to come.
The case for extra investment
As Chair, I opened each meeting by saying that the Labour Government recognised the urgent need for more funding and has already made a commitment to an additional £1billion pounds for the SEND system across the country. I also noted that the previous funding formula had led to Hertfordshire receiving an especially poor settlement and that along with other Labour MPs in the county, I have raised this issue directly with Ministers.
Given the consensus on the need for more investment and an appropriate settlement for Hertfordshire – we focused our conversation not on the financial challenge, but what structural changes that are needed to the system. We explored four themes, summarised below.
What works well now?
Respondents tended to agree that EHCPs are good in principle and when completed in good time and properly, were very positive. Frustrations were rarely about the ECHP itself. Negative experiences were focused on long waiting times and ECHPs not being enforced or monitored properly.
It was widely recognised by parents that the quality of school leadership makes a huge difference. A recent change of Headteacher was praised as a catalyst for significant and positive change at a local primary school.
A number of respondents said their mainstream primary school had been better able to support the needs of their child than mainstream secondary schools. This should not be read as criticism of secondary schools, but reflects the fact that some primary schools (by no means all), had SENCO’s with a slightly more manageable workload and some empty classrooms that has been converted into sensory spaces.
One participant noted an increase in the number of Educational Psychologist (EP) visits happening, but there was not a shared view that things were improving at Hertfordshire County Council.
What principles should underpin a reformed SEND system?
Attendees felt that the system needs to be responsive need at the point of need. This is not their experience at present, with appropriate provision typically following many months and often years after need is identified.
Early intervention was crucial for all groups. The vast majority of parents said they knew or believed their child had additional needs before they reached school age. There was praise for the older Sure Start model and agreement that early diagnosis of the additional needs of a child should be a priority in a reformed system. It was also agreed that multi-agency work was vital. Participants wanted to see a much closer working relationship between early years settings, schools, CAMHS and educational psychologists.
The importance of improved training for teachers was almost universally acknowledged. A Headteacher at a specialist setting commented that initial teacher training (ITT) does not currently include a substantial SEND section, and it should. Trainee teachers spend just one day in a SEND school as part of ITT. In order to be inclusive, this would need to change as teaching of neurodiverse children is “completely counter-intuitive” compared to methods for teaching neurotypical children.
Some attendees would welcome a particular focus on training Teaching Assistants (TAs), on whom SEND provision heavily relies. Challenges with recruitment and retention of staff is currently a major barrier to expanding TA provision. This led into a related theme – which was that SEN specialists are extremely valuable and hard to come by for schools. The ambition was for a new system that would include more specialists, supported by teachers and TAs who received more SEND training than they do today.
Gender differences in the provision of additional support must be recognised. It was argued that girls are more effective at ‘hiding’ difficulties and more likely develop coping strategies that could mask real need.
There was overall agreement that the tribunals system is flawed and not fair. Over 99% are approved and Hertfordshire County Council frequently withdraws their opposition at the last minute. The great fear is that only those with money or advocacy skills feel able to take this route. At the same time, some parents only secured the outcome they have long believed was right for their child after battling through the tribunal system. They understandably felt it was their last and only option. It can’t and should not be the case that so many people feel they have to mount a legal fight to get the right support for their family.
What most urgently needs to change?
For a child with an EHCP, a single point of contact at the local authority was a wish for so many parents. There was great frustration at constantly having to explain the situation faced by their son or daughter to a new caseworker. Parents want to feel they have access professional who knows their case, is their advocate and is going to stay with them for a sustained period of time.
There was a firm view that overbearing and inflexible targets need to be reviewed. For example, for some SEND children it can be a real achievement to get them into school, sometimes after hours of negotiation and persuasion at home. Even in these circumstances, when the situation of the child is well understood, schools are still making records of a child’s ‘lateness’ and can follow-up with pushy emails. A little flexibility was the hope for a lot of parents.
A number of parents also raised their frustration that their children were not being given the opportunity to study for a Level 1 functional skills exam. No child is the same, but there were several parents who felt would be futile for their son or daughter to complete a traditional academic GCSE in English. In contrast, they believed that allowing them to sit a functional skills exam would provide a realistic chance at passing a qualification and a route to further progress. This was most acute for parents of 15 & 16 year old children.
Concluding thoughts
It wasn’t possible to capture every point from more than 3 hours of discussion with parents and teachers in Welwyn Hatfield, but I have done my best to do justice to the meetings. I have learnt a huge amount in the process and it has only strengthened my resolve to continue to advocate for the reform that we need to the SEND system.
I look forward to the upcoming white paper from the government, to staying close to these issues and working with parents and teachers across my community.
Yours sincerely,
Andrew Lewin MP
Member of Parliament for Welwyn Hatfield