Jimmie Franklin
13 September 2017

The London Assembly Education Panel are examining the challenges to SEND provision in London. This panel will identify what role the Mayor can play in helping to provide adequate SEND provision to London’s pupils.

For London families struggling to get the support they need, this is a welcome move. But to make the biggest difference to families, we urge the panel to consider the challenges of early education and childcare. High quality early education can boost children’s development and help to narrow the gap between disadvantaged children and their more affluent peers. Childcare also supports parents to work, increasing family incomes, which in turn can have a positive impact on children’s outcomes. This is particularly important given that families with a disabled child are more likely to live in poverty.

The Family and Childcare Trust’s research into childcare and early education for children with SEND has found that many families struggle to access the services they need. As part of the Parliamentary inquiry into childcare for disabled children, parents with disabled children were surveyed about their use of childcare. 41 per cent of parent carers said that their children did not access the full 15 hours of the free entitlement to early education for three and four year olds, compared to just 5 per cent of parents of all children. 92 per cent of parent carers said finding childcare for disabled children is more difficult than for non-disabled children. This has significant consequences for those families - around three quarters of parents had cut their working hours or left jobs because of the problems they faced accessing appropriate childcare.

There are several factors that can make it more difficult for disabled children to access childcare and early education. Our Childcare Survey found that there is simply not enough suitable childcare available. In England, just 18 per cent of local authorities report that they have enough childcare for disabled children in all parts of their local area. The shortages are even more acute over the school holidays when just 13 per cent of areas have enough childcare. If families cannot find childcare, they are left with few choices and for many it is simply impossible for them to work.  

And childcare providers often struggle to make the necessary adjustments so that children with additional needs can have a positive experience at childcare. Some will struggle to access the additional funding they need, limiting their ability to buy equipment or materials, or access specialist training.

New funding mechanisms for early years and SEND support introduced this year could help providers meet these challenges, and the Mayor and Greater London Authority could help to share best practice across the capital to maximise this opportunity as well as providing specialist training and support when needed. For school aged children, they can work with schools to help them meet the challenge of offering fully accessible extended days and holiday activities that support working parents and enable children to access valuable extracurricular activities.

The education of children goes beyond school lessons. As part of their work on SEND provision, we hope that the Education Panel will consider the role that early education, before children start school, plays in setting children up to learn right through school and beyond, and the role that schools can play in helping parents to work and children with SEND to access the same support and opportunities as their peers.

Download our full response to the GLA's consultation: