West Dorset’s MP Chris Loder has hailed the launch of the Government’s new Special Educational Needs (SEND) / Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan which will be making important improvements to improve the nationwide service provision for young people with special needs.
The Secretary of State for Education, Gillian Keegan, informed Mr Loder of a number of new measures to bolster the SEND/AP provision in the UK. Among them, funding for up to 5,000 early years staff to get accredited Level 3 early years SENCO qualification, £21m investment to train two cohorts of Educational Psychologists between 2024 and 2025, £18m until 2025 to double the capacity of the supported internships programme and an over 50% increase in High Needs funding.
Mr Loder said of the news: “This news will come as a major boost for parents of children with special educational needs and special care needs, who will be greatly reassured that the Government is fully committed to safeguarding and investing in their children’s future. Not just for their education but longer term career progression and fulfilment and my priority now is to ensure that Dorset receives its fair share of this improvement investment.
