This week I am delighted to be able to report that the Education Secretary, Damian Hinds, has announced a multi-million pound investment in state-of-the-art facilities for children with special educational needs, helping to ensure that every child has the best start in life.
As a former governor of a school for children with autism, special needs has long been an issue of importance for me - so I’m particularly pleased to see the government helping out in this way.
Locally since I became MP last year I’ve been lucky enough to get to know a number of important groups that help children and families with special needs. We have two strong special schools in the Endeavour and Grove House. We also have the brilliant Brentwood-based charity, Special Needs and Parents, or SNAP, which provides exceptional advice and support to parents whose children have just been diagnosed with, or are challenged by, those same needs and disabilities.
And recently I was honoured to visit local hairdresser, Ian Marshall, has set up Spargoland at the back of his salon, Spargo, in Brentwood, where children with anxiety, sensory problems and autism can have a free hair cut in a quiet, calm, environment away from the strange smells, loud sounds and general busy-ness of a regular hairdressers.
The Government’s announcement will lead to an additional £50 million heading to councils to create more school places and state-of-the-art facilities for children with special educational needs and disabilities - bringing the total investment in new school places for children with additional needs to £265 million.
Councils across the country will also get £680 million to create 40,000 more good school places in primary and secondary schools. These places will build on the 825,000 new school places created since 2010.
There’s still plenty more to do to ensure children with special needs are identified as early as possible and given the help and support they, and their families, need. Knowing there are schools which meet their individual needs and help them to achieve their full potential is a key part of this support, and I am proud those different needs are embraced and celebrated here in own community.