HorseWorld’s response to the Government’s announcement, promising to create thousands more places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in mainstream schools in England.

We welcome all investment that supports children and young people with special educational needs, and news like this helps to raise awareness of the growing challenges these children face.

The delay of the Schools White Paper until next year hasn't helped confidence in the Government’s strategy for education, however we hope this news of increased investment is just the start of a significant reform of SEND support for vulnerable children in England. We would like to see improvements in the efficiency and speed of families receiving a diagnosis and EHCP (Education, Health, and Care Plan) as well as enhanced specialist mainstream and alternative provision in schools.

Children and their families who have waited years for a diagnosis and fought the system to get an EHCP will hopefully now get more support. Unfortunately, this announcement does nothing to address the delays desperate families face to get the help they need.

This recent BBC article gives the story from a mother of her son’s experience of missing primary school and the impact that had on him. This family’s experience is one we hear at HorseWorld repeatedly. Delayed support to children getting the help they need also costs millions to the UK taxpayer in tribunal costs.

Children need early interventions. It is exactly why charities like ours are needed, to step in and help to fill the gaps. HorseWorld’s specialist equine assisted learning course, the Discovery programme, can be accessed by children who are still waiting for an EHCP. And the need for our bursaries to support children in the South West stuck on waiting lists has never been greater.

This month, we have announced our ambition to create 100 new bursaries – on top of our existing 300 Discovery places we provide each year – to bring more vital support to young people across Bristol, Bath and North Somerset.

A full bursary of £2,000 will fund a six-week placement on our Discovery programme, where specially trained gentle rescued horses and specialist facilitators help children discover trust, calm and curiosity, and re-engage with learning beyond the classroom. The programme been shown to improve confidence and communication skills among participants.