Schools North East contributes to landmark SEND inquiry
Schools North East is proud to have submitted evidence to the Education Select Committee’s SEND Inquiry – and we are delighted to be named among the organisations that shaped this landmark report.
Representing the collective voice of all 1,150 schools across the North East, and as the driving force behind the National Network of Special Schools for School Business Professionals (NNoSS for SBPs), we took this opportunity to ensure the lived realities of our schools, leaders, and children were heard loud and clear in Westminster.
The Committee’s final report paints a sobering picture of a system in crisis… but also sets out a roadmap for meaningful, lasting change – just like the Schools North East Manifesto for Education.
A system under strain
Since the Children and Families Act 2014, the number of children identified with special educational needs (SEN) has risen from 1.3 million to 1.7 million. Behind those numbers are families battling a system that too often feels fragmented, under-resourced, and adversarial.
Our evidence – and that of many others – highlighted what schools experience daily:
- Parents and carers exhausted by the fight for basic support.
- Teachers and leaders stretched to breaking point.
- Local services buckling under pressure, leaving children without the consistent, high-quality support they deserve.
The report concludes what we have long argued: without decisive, long-term change, the SEND system will remain under unsustainable pressure – unable to meet current or future needs.
Key findings – and where our voice made a difference
The report calls for urgent reform in six key areas. These reflect many of the points Schools North East raised in our submission:
1. Securing Inclusive Education
We have consistently called for a clear national definition of inclusive education and standardised expectations for ordinarily available provision. The report echoes our position: inclusive practice must be embedded into the fabric of mainstream education, supported with proper resourcing, specialist staff, and an inclusive physical environment.
2. Restoring Trust
Our schools told us that parents’ trust is being eroded by inconsistent provision, delays, and lack of transparency. The Committee agrees that accountability systems must shift to support – not punish – schools, and that families must be treated as equal partners in decisions about their children.
3. Equipping the Workforce
As The Voice of our region’s schools and SBPs in the specialist sector, we highlighted the need for a workforce plan that gives teachers, leaders, TAs, and local authority staff the training, time, and resources to meet children’s needs. The report reinforces this, calling for reform of Initial Teacher Training, CPD, and urgent action on educational psychologist shortages.
4. Achieving Sustainable Funding
We know our schools face mounting financial pressures. The report recognises the looming deficits in local authority budgets and calls for a clear, long-term funding plan to ensure schools can deliver the support every child deserves.
5. Building Stronger Partnerships
We have seen first-hand the difference collaboration makes. The report calls for statutory duties on health and social care and a dedicated national SEND lead – aligning closely with our recommendation for joined-up leadership.
6. Expanding Capacity & Early Intervention
We advocated for smarter investment in capacity and early years support to prevent escalation of need. The report welcomes programmes like NELI and calls for universal rollout and better data to target resources effectively.
Why this matters for the North East
Our region has some of the highest levels of SEND need in the country – and our schools have been at the forefront of finding solutions despite enormous challenges. By contributing to this report, Schools North East has made sure that the realities faced by schools in our region (and across the country through NNoSS) are influencing national policy.
Schools North East Manifesto
The report’s findings could not be more closely aligned with our Schools North East Manifesto, which set out our region’s key priorities. The manifesto calls for a properly funded, inclusive education system, a workforce strategy that addresses shortages, and greater collaboration between education, health, and social care – all of which are echoed in the Committee’s recommendations.
Our Manifesto is built on the evidence and lived experience of North East schools, and this report underlines just how critical these priorities are if we are to create a system that meets the needs of every child. This alignment strengthens our case and gives us an even louder voice when calling for change at the national level.
Next Steps: A seat at the table
Next month, Schools North East is hosting a roundtable with Helen Hayes MP, Chair of the House of Commons Education Select Committee. This is a significant opportunity to ensure the voices of North East schools are heard at the highest levels of education policy.
As Chair, Helen Hayes can influence inquiries, shape the Committee’s scrutiny of government policy, and set the tone for wider debates. We want to make sure the issues most affecting our region’s schools are firmly on her radar.
Places at the roundtable are limited, and delegates have been carefully selected to represent a broad range of settings, stages, and leadership roles. But this conversation must reflect all 1,150 schools in the North East.
That’s why we are asking our schools to complete a short survey to identify the 3–5 core issues we should prioritise. We are particularly keen to hear about:
- Challenges affecting large numbers of schools across the North East.
- Issues where there are clear regional disparities.
- Areas where government policy isn’t matching expectations, including the proposed new inspection framework, SEND, and the various outstanding reviews.
Your input will directly shape a briefing paper that will be shared with Helen Hayes MP, the Department for Education, Ofsted, the media, and all MPs across our region. With the Government’s forthcoming White Paper on the horizon, it is more important than ever that the voices of North East schools are heard loudly and clearly.
Together, we can build a SEND system that is inclusive, sustainable, and fit for the future – and once again put the focus where it belongs: on children’s needs, not bureaucracy.