Hi All,

As we await the High Court verdict on VAT, I write with a request for your support on a related issue that affects children in state and independent schools alike.

The Government are planning reforms to Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) education, and Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) in particular, that could see worse provision for students with these needs.  That, in turn, could affect other children and their learning outcomes.  The Guardian wrote about this recently, and you can find their article here.

The Special Needs Jungle charity, which focuses on SEND provision, launched a petition to Parliament that calls on the Government to protect the legal right to assessment and support for children with SEND.  

Over 87,000 people have signed this petition so far, and they need over 100,000 to get a debate in Parliament.  We, as parents affected by Labour's education tax, know all too well the importance of dialogue and debate, and I would be deeply grateful for your support.  The Government responded to the petition itself (which happens after 10,000 signatures), but the Special Needs Jungle note that they "missed the point entirely".  You can see their explanation here.

Please consider signing and sharing this petition far and wide.  Let your voices be heard, and let's stand together to improve education, not make it worse.

The petition can be found here:

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/711021

Thank you!

Tony Perry

Education Not Taxation