Lowe sets out Restore plan to overhaul special needs education

Rupert Lowe has set out Restore Britain's plans for a "fundamental overhaul" of support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

In a long post on X at 08:08 BST on Tuesday 13th October, the Restore Britain leader wrote: "The current system is simply not working for British families." He said the aim was "ensuring the right support, for the right child, in the right environment".

Mr Lowe wrote: "Not every child learns in the same way, and certainly not every difference needs a diagnosis."

The main points

- Children with "genuine additional needs" would get timely assessments and support.

- An independent review would look at diagnosis, assessment standards and evidence on "overdiagnosis, underdiagnosis and inconsistent practice".

- Stricter diagnostic standards, with assessments by qualified professionals using "consistent, clinically recognised criteria".

- Children could get help without needing a medical diagnosis first.

- A large expansion of vocational and technical education at a younger age, including workshops, engineering, construction, agriculture, mechanics and computing, with funding for schools.

- Funded apprenticeships, work experience and links with local employers for young people with additional needs.

- More daily PE, sport, swimming and outdoor learning.

- An end to the "EHCP postcode lottery", with consistent national standards. EHCPs, or Education, Health and Care Plans, set out the legal support a child should receive.

- More specialist schools, units within mainstream schools, and better SEND training for staff.

- Simpler appeals and more say for parents in decisions.

Mr Lowe wrote: "We are very, very clear - not every difference is a disorder." He added that "medicalisation is an absolute last resort" and that "struggling with maths is not a medical disorder requiring medication".

He also said parents "must also take responsibility". He listed regular school attendance, "sensible routines around sleep, nutrition, exercise and screen time", and supporting good behaviour at home.

On vocational learning, he wrote: "For me this is hugely important." He said his companies had "developed thousands of apprentices" and added: "Not nonsense degrees, but genuine skills."

He concluded: "More practical education. More apprenticeships. More opportunities to develop real skills. In short - better and more tailored help for those children who genuinely need it."

The post did not give costs, timescales or figures for how many children would be affected. No separate SEND policy paper was listed on Restore Britain's policy papers page at the time of writing.

Image: David Hawgood, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons