09/02/2026
A few weeks ago, a small group of our staff, parents, grandparents met with Cat. She took the time to listen - hearing first hand stories about our children and the positive outcomes that Ayres Sensory Integration therapy has made possible for them and their families.
We appreciate the openness of that conversation and the genuine interest shown. We understand that the key messages from our discussions were shared directly with the Minister, helping to ensure that the voices and experiences of our community continue to be heard.
I met with the Minister for School Standards Georgia Gould MP to talk about SEND reforms and the upcoming Schools White Paper.
We discussed in depth the need to retain legal protections for children and young people with SEND, early intervention, providing appropriate support in absence of a formal diagnosis, support for parents, and the need to raise and equalise funding.
I told the Minister about good examples of supportive environments I have seen across the constituency, and evidence based occupational therapy approaches that can support sensory integration. I passed on lots of perspectives from parents and teachers from my SEND Roundtable event and it was good to hear that the Minister recognises the need for improvements at all levels in the school system.
I'm grateful for the Minister's willingness to listen and engage on this important subject and I will continue to push for real change to give children and families the support they need.
