In recent years I have regularly raised the funding crisis that is hitting Harrow’s schools in Parliament – this is impacting funding for staff, retention, supplies and digital investment.

Harrow is also currently facing a pressing need for a new Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) School. Despite the detrimental impact on children with SEN, their families, and the broader educational ecosystem, the Department of Education has regrettably turned down three separate applications for a much-needed 290-space Special School.

Notably, the Government recently rejected a “high-quality application” which “demonstrated several strengths including a clear and well-argued inclusive SEN strategy, a demonstrable need for the school and the associated benefits this would bring to Harrow.”

A consistently high number of pupils with SEND cannot have their needs met in Harrow schools and are subsequently educated in independent schools at a high cost to Harrow Council. Our existing special needs schools are underfunded and mainstream schools need more funding for special education needs teaching in their schools too

This issue is impacting more and more families in Harrow and it is high time the Department of Education finally funded special education needs teaching in Harrow and supported us with a new SEN School.