Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

Too many families across Surrey Heath are being failed by a SEND system that is too slow, too adversarial, and too often unable to deliver the support children are legally entitled to receive. Parents regularly contact Al Pinkerton describing years-long battles for basic provision, children left without suitable education, and EHCPs containing inaccurate information or inappropriate support packages.

Since being elected, Dr Al Pinkerton has taken on more than 140 active SEND-related constituency cases. Through this work, he has seen first-hand the pressures facing families, schools, and local services across Surrey. Many parents describe being pushed to breaking point while navigating lengthy appeals and tribunal processes.

In Parliament, Al has repeatedly raised concerns about SEND provision in Surrey and the wider national crisis facing special educational needs support. He welcomed Government funding for the new Frimley Oak Academy in Surrey Heath, which will provide 170 specialist places for children with additional needs, but has warned that new school places alone will not resolve the deeper structural problems within the system.

He has also challenged Surrey County Council after Surrey recorded the highest number of SEND tribunal appeals in England for three consecutive years. Al has warned that local government reorganisation and mounting financial pressures risk worsening outcomes further if vulnerable children and families are not properly prioritised.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for urgent SEND reform, including fairer funding, stronger accountability, protection of EHCP rights, and faster access to support. Al believes children in Surrey Heath deserve a system that works for families, not against them.