KNOWING how broken the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support system is, I have collated views from local parents and schools.
This included a specific ‘Coffee with Claire’ event and online survey last year, which I shared with the Education Secretary.
I was pleased to receive a letter from her, recognising our community’s influence in shaping new significant proposals for improving SEND support.
These involve a complete overhaul of the system – unrecognisable from the failed one where parents have to battle for support for their child – with expert support as a new standard in mainstream schools, backed by a £3.7 billion investment to expand specialist support.
In the House of Commons, I asked the Education Secretary how local parents and others could help further shape these proposals. She confirmed she wants to hear your thoughts as the next step, and I will organise another local event shortly.
I was also proud to raise the experience of Stoke Gifford mum Christine Lote in the House of Commons. Her incurable stage 4 cancer diagnosis could not be considered when allocating her daughter’s primary school place.
The Schools Minister confirmed that a new school admissions consultation will look at this.
I spoke in a debate on health systems in Gaza, calling for our Government to continue to do everything possible to help vulnerable children.
I’ve been working hard for you across our constituency, with my team and I working on 793 new cases.
I held my latest ‘Coffee with Claire’ event on crime and anti-social behaviour with Clare Moody, our Police and Crime Commissioner, in Emersons Green.
I believe politics and Parliament should belong to everyone, so was pleased to welcome students from UWE, Coniston Primary School and those who are home-educated to Parliament.
Locally, I met with South Gloucestershire Council cabinet member Sean Rhodes to discuss real progress on the Hambrook Junction as part of our joined-up work.
Since 2019, two consecutive years of legally safe air quality data has been required for restrictions to end, but not met before now.
I’ve contacted government ministers to make sure the council have the information they need on next steps if this is now – as we all hope – confirmed shortly.
As the first woman to serve our community in Parliament, I joined an International Women’s Day panel on women’s experiences in typically male-dominated sectors. There’s some real progress, with 40% of MPs women, but still more to do.
It was great to visit Winterbourne Academy for a wide-ranging Q&A session with students.
You can get in touch anytime at claire.hazelgrove.mp@parliament.uk.