Bedfordshire parents protest for special school places
52 children with special educational needs or disabilities have been given an unsuitable school place
A protest is being held outside Central Bedfordshire Council as a public meeting is taking place today as parents claim that children who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are being failed catastrophically.
It is being billed as a 'noisy demonstration' by campaigners who are determined to make sure their children can access the right form of education.
According to Central Bedfordshire's SEND Action group, 52 children have been left without a suitable school place this September - with 148 on part-time timetables.
The importance of SEND schools
Schools which cater to children with special educational needs and disabilities offer a key level of care that is not available elsewhere.
Some of the children are set to have places in September 2022, but this doesn't include all of them.
Parents are unhappy with the fact that children are expected to cope in mainstream education because of their varying needs, and they don’t want them to get left behind.
In November 2019, Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission report criticised the Council's SEND plans, finding that there were 'significant areas of weakness in the local practice.'
Although schools are able to offer extra support to some students, Independent Biggleswade South councillor Hayley Whitaker who offered to act as spokesperson for the parents said this might not be enough.
She stated:
"Even with the extra support provided, this is usually unsuitable for most children that require a special school place.
"A panel of experts established that a special school place is the only way these children will get a suitable education, but CBC is totally unable to provide sufficient places."
A spokesperson for the council said:
"As with many other local authorities, we’re experiencing increasing demand for special school places.
"We’re revising our forward plans to meet this growing demand to include a significant £6.5m capital investment for the creation of more than 100 SEND specialist places during the next three years.
"An extra 59 places will be available from September 2021.
"We’re also working closely with our neighbouring councils to secure additional places where possible."