London Councils do important work into issues facing our city on a range of topics. Recently they produced a report into school places in London and the provision of education as provided by local authorities. In this report, it was highlighted that Hillingdon has seen a 15% reduction in the number of primary school children, while Harrow has seen a similar decline in demand. This is a trend across the city as London’s local authorities deal with a significant and sustained period of reduction in demand for places. This is in part caused by changing demographics in the capital but creates challenges for local authorities. Despite this, the report highlights the worrying lack of capacity for children with special education needs and disabilities (SEND).

I am grateful for the work of London Councils, and I had the opportunity this morning to raise these findings in the House of Commons. During business questions, I asked the Leader of the House whether the Government could find time for a debate about the provision of spaces and the opportunities for local authorities to open their own SEND schools to provide capacity.  

In her response, the Leader expressed her support for every child’s right to access education and ensure they can reach their full potential. While she is not responsible for these matters, the Leader indicated that that this is a priority for the Department for Education and pledged to contact the Department to raise the matter with Ministers. I welcome her statement and promise of actions, and I look forward to following this up in my meetings with Ministers at the Department responsible.