As the son of two primary school teachers, one of whom was a headteacher, I was very pleased to be invited to join the group of Brentwood primary school heads who make up the Brentwood Collaborative Partnership.
I am well aware, from my father’s headship experience, that being the head of a small primary school is a tough and lonely experience at times. The BCP members recognise the need to share their experiences and working practices, and meet regularly to support each other through good and bad times.
It was no surprise to me that support and funding for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) was top of the heads’ agenda to discuss with me. I am getting an increasing number of parents getting in touch with my office about the difficulties they are having in getting Education and Health Care Plans for children with autism and other neurodivergent conditions, or places in local specials schools, all of which are full and over-subscribed.
I have recognised the need for more specialist education in special schools for those with additional needs for some time, and will be talking to Education Ministers about my campaign to create more special schools and specialist provision to Essex to meet that need. It is vital children get the education they need and deserve, and providing the right kind of support to those children and to teaching and support staff in schools is a priority for me.
Funding is an issue all the Brentwood and Ongar headteachers want to raise with me, but I was very concerned to hear the work involved in recording and reporting how the Covid recovery funding provided by the Government has made it very difficult for heads to use it effectively. It’s another issue I will be drawing to the attention of Ministers in the next couple of weeks.
