Our response to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

We are disappointed that the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools bill does not address the wellbeing of the 1.9 million children who struggle with talking and understanding words. We acknowledge that the bill does a lot to fix some of the current problems in our education system, but it should have shown more ambition. Speech, language and communication skills are the foundation upon which children’s educational and personal development are built, and they are crucial. Children who struggle with talking and understanding words will have lower academic achievement, more mental health difficulties, and fewer future employment opportunities, if they don’t get the support they so desperately need. The Government needs to support early identification and intervention of speech and language challenges, better training for all teachers and support staff, and more support for parents. We stand ready to work with the Government to develop and implement strategies that will make a huge difference to all children and young people with speech and language challenges.