South West Norfolk Labour MP Terry Jermy has secured a commitment from School Standards Minister Georgia Gould that the school clusters at the heart of the government's SEND reforms will be tested in rural communities, after setting out evidence from families across his constituency.
Leading a Westminster Hall debate on Tuesday, Jermy presented his report 'Rural Realities', built from in-person sessions with parents, questionnaires and casework. He said it was not uncommon for children to travel an hour and a half each way every day to reach suitable provision, and that pupils at rural special schools travel on average 10 miles each way, compared with about four miles in urban areas.
Three quarters of schools that answered his survey said they could not adequately support pupils with SEND with their current resources, and 46 per cent of parents said their child had spent significant time out of school because their needs were not met. Norfolk has 32,000 children and young people with SEND, including more than 13,000 with an education, health and care plan.
Terry Jermy: 'Education is not a privilege'
"Education is not a privilege in this country; it is a right, yet too many children with SEND are being denied that right, not because their potential is lacking but because the system around them is struggling to provide the support they need," Jermy said.
Rural test for school clusters
Gould said she had his report with her, noting that he had spoken to more than 300 parents, and that their voices were being taken seriously in the SEND consultation. She said the government wanted to "test and learn" how clusters of schools would work in rural areas and was keen to work with Norfolk MPs on it.
The minister pointed to £1.8 billion for the new Experts at Hand service, £200 million for teacher training and £3.7 billion of capital investment, with Norfolk's high-needs capital funding at £15.8 million in 2026-27. She added that home-to-school transport funding now uses a separate formula that includes distance travelled.
