Say NO to £650k SEND cuts

Posted on October 5, 2020 by Tower Hamlets and the City NEU

Tower Hamlets Council is proposing to cut support provided to children with SEND by up to £650,000. The proposals will see 13.5 of the current 28.5 posts deleted from the Support for Learning Service (SLS).

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The SLS is a team of specialist teachers who work with SENCos, teachers and TAs to fully include children with SEND in our schools and pre-school settings.

The plans would see cuts:

From 5.5 to 2 teachers on the Visually Impaired Team
From 6.6 to 3 teachers on the Deaf and Partially Hearing Team
All 3.9 posts on the Specific Learning Difficulties Team and all 3.7 in the Language & Communication Team deleted and replaced by just 2 teachers for Language, Literacy & Communication.

The SLS would become advisory, with very limited direct work with pupils. Schools will be responsible for meeting the needs of growing numbers of high needs pupils but with a drastic reduction in specialist assessments, training and expertise.

These cuts will have a devastating impact on children, families and schools, at a time when they need it most – during a pandemic.

Pupils with SEND have been hit hardest by Covid: these cuts will only deepen inequalities.

A recent survey of provision during “lockdown” praised the SLS for its support to vulnerable families.

Tower Hamlets Council should not be making these cuts at any time, let alone during a pandemic when we have just come out of “lockdown.”

Join our campaign to oppose these cuts and support SEND children in our schools.