Rory Bremner is an impressionist, satirist and writer with a long career on stage and television.
Some meetings in Parliament tell you more about the state of the country than weeks of speeches across the despatch box.
I recently chaired a meeting of the cross-party campaign group, the SEND Matters Coalition, of which I am proud to be a Patron. The meeting was kindly hosted by Greg Smith MP, who shares my determination to improve the lives of children with SEND and the families who support them. I was flanked on either side by the Campaign Co-Chairs Helen Saul and Neil Giles; two of the remarkable SEND parents I am working with. Sir Robert Buckland along with Kate Osborne MP fellow Patrons also sat with us.
Politicians arrived believing they were giving up fifteen minutes in busy diaries. Instead, they stayed for more than two hours. Committee Room 10 was packed. There was standing room only. MPs and peers who had intended to drop in briefly found themselves unable to leave. They stood along the walls, listening in silence as family after family described what life had become.
Britain has always prided itself on looking after those who are most vulnerable. Yet across hundreds of thousands of families, a quiet scandal continues to unfold. While we rightly debate economic growth, secure borders and public finances, we cannot overlook the growing number of children with special educational needs who are being failed by the very system designed to support them.
The stories parents tell are remarkably consistent. Bureaucratic delays stretch into years. Endless paperwork replaces practical help. Appeals drag on while responsibility is passed from one organisation to another. Childhood, meanwhile, does not wait. Children are left without the support they need while families become exhausted, financially stretched and emotionally drained.
This is not a niche issue affecting only a small minority. It is a test of both our education system and our national character. The question is whether we are prepared to ensure every child receives the support they need to fulfil their potential, while spending public money wisely and effectively.
The families gathered in that committee room were not asking for favours or special treatment. Their request was far simpler: that governments honour the commitments already made and that a system created to support children functions as Parliament intended.
Reform is undoubtedly necessary. Too many children are falling through the cracks, spending months or years out of education, falling behind academically and socially, and losing opportunities that cannot easily be recovered. However, reform must deliver better outcomes, not simply less support for those with the most complex needs. For many children, specialist provision is not an optional extra; it is the foundation that allows them to learn, develop independence and contribute fully to society.
When that support is absent, the consequences extend far beyond the individual child. Mainstream schools come under greater pressure, and teachers working tirelessly within tight budgets cannot be expected to meet increasingly complex needs without the necessary resources and expertise. When the system fails its most vulnerable pupils, every classroom feels the effects.
One mother spoke that afternoon about her family’s seven-year struggle. For seven years she had watched other children leave happily for school while her own remained at home. Her life became an endless cycle of forms, assessments, meetings and appeals, as she watched her child’s confidence fade, opportunities disappear and precious years of childhood slip away.
There was nothing exceptional about her story. That was precisely what made it so heartbreaking. A sensible response to this challenge should be rooted in principles we have always championed such as strong families, careful stewardship of taxpayers’ money and high standards in education. Supporting children with SEND is not at odds with those values; it is an expression of them. Getting support right early does not simply change lives. It prevents far greater social and financial costs later.
Those Parliamentarians who intended to stay for fifteen minutes left two hours later having heard the human reality behind the headlines. They now have a responsibility to ensure reform means genuine improvement rather than another administrative exercise.
Britain’s reputation as a compassionate, fair and responsible nation depends not on the promises we make, but on whether we keep them for the children who need us most.
If you would like to learn more about the work of the SEND Matters Coalition, or discuss how you can help ensure these reforms deliver better outcomes for children and families, please email me at admin@sendmatterscoalition.com .
Rory Bremner is an impressionist, satirist and writer with a long career on stage and television.
Some meetings in Parliament tell you more about the state of the country than weeks of speeches across the despatch box.
I recently chaired a meeting of the cross-party campaign group, the SEND Matters Coalition, of which I am proud to be a Patron. The meeting was kindly hosted by Greg Smith MP, who shares my determination to improve the lives of children with SEND and the families who support them. I was flanked on either side by the Campaign Co-Chairs Helen Saul and Neil Giles; two of the remarkable SEND parents I am working with. Sir Robert Buckland along with Kate Osborne MP fellow Patrons also sat with us.
Politicians arrived believing they were giving up fifteen minutes in busy diaries. Instead, they stayed for more than two hours. Committee Room 10 was packed. There was standing room only. MPs and peers who had intended to drop in briefly found themselves unable to leave. They stood along the walls, listening in silence as family after family described what life had become.
Britain has always prided itself on looking after those who are most vulnerable. Yet across hundreds of thousands of families, a quiet scandal continues to unfold. While we rightly debate economic growth, secure borders and public finances, we cannot overlook the growing number of children with special educational needs who are being failed by the very system designed to support them.
The stories parents tell are remarkably consistent. Bureaucratic delays stretch into years. Endless paperwork replaces practical help. Appeals drag on while responsibility is passed from one organisation to another. Childhood, meanwhile, does not wait. Children are left without the support they need while families become exhausted, financially stretched and emotionally drained.
This is not a niche issue affecting only a small minority. It is a test of both our education system and our national character. The question is whether we are prepared to ensure every child receives the support they need to fulfil their potential, while spending public money wisely and effectively.
The families gathered in that committee room were not asking for favours or special treatment. Their request was far simpler: that governments honour the commitments already made and that a system created to support children functions as Parliament intended.
Reform is undoubtedly necessary. Too many children are falling through the cracks, spending months or years out of education, falling behind academically and socially, and losing opportunities that cannot easily be recovered. However, reform must deliver better outcomes, not simply less support for those with the most complex needs. For many children, specialist provision is not an optional extra; it is the foundation that allows them to learn, develop independence and contribute fully to society.
When that support is absent, the consequences extend far beyond the individual child. Mainstream schools come under greater pressure, and teachers working tirelessly within tight budgets cannot be expected to meet increasingly complex needs without the necessary resources and expertise. When the system fails its most vulnerable pupils, every classroom feels the effects.
One mother spoke that afternoon about her family’s seven-year struggle. For seven years she had watched other children leave happily for school while her own remained at home. Her life became an endless cycle of forms, assessments, meetings and appeals, as she watched her child’s confidence fade, opportunities disappear and precious years of childhood slip away.
There was nothing exceptional about her story. That was precisely what made it so heartbreaking. A sensible response to this challenge should be rooted in principles we have always championed such as strong families, careful stewardship of taxpayers’ money and high standards in education. Supporting children with SEND is not at odds with those values; it is an expression of them. Getting support right early does not simply change lives. It prevents far greater social and financial costs later.
Those Parliamentarians who intended to stay for fifteen minutes left two hours later having heard the human reality behind the headlines. They now have a responsibility to ensure reform means genuine improvement rather than another administrative exercise.
Britain’s reputation as a compassionate, fair and responsible nation depends not on the promises we make, but on whether we keep them for the children who need us most.
If you would like to learn more about the work of the SEND Matters Coalition, or discuss how you can help ensure these reforms deliver better outcomes for children and families, please email me at admin@sendmatterscoalition.com .