PRESS RELEASE : Next steps on special educational needs and disabilities

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 6 July 2010.

Speaking at an Every Disabled Child Matters event yesterday, Children’s Minister Sarah Teather, said:

We want to make sure that the most vulnerable children get the best quality of support and care. Children with special educational needs and disabilities should have the same opportunities as their peers. The system needs to be more family friendly so that parents don’t feel they have to battle to get the support their child needs.

That is why I will launch a green paper in the autumn to look at a wide range of issues for children with SEN and disabilities. Before then I will be looking at the results of the Ofsted review of SEN we are expecting later this summer, in addition to the many reviews of SEN policy in recent years. I’ll also be listening to the views of parents, teachers and organisations with an interest in this area.

The system needs to be far more transparent. We need to give parents more choice and involve them in the decision-making process. The green paper will also look at how to manage the transition beyond school so that young people over 16 can get the support they need.