Sarah Dyke, Liberal Democrat MP for Glastonbury and Somerton, has called for urgent reform of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system during a Westminster Hall debate, saying it is "adversarial" and is failing children, families, and councils.

Dyke, vice‑chair of the f40 group representing England's 43 worst‑funded education authorities, thanked petitioners who brought the debate to Parliament — including 221 from Glastonbury and Somerton.

Speaking in the debate, she shared the case of Caroline from North Cadbury, whose daughter Lucy—"an intelligent and capable girl"—has been left "falling through the cracks" despite being on track for good GCSE results. Lucy, who has autism and mental health challenges, has faced long delays for diagnosis and is now fighting for an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Caroline's words, quoted by Dyke, were: "The very systems that are supposed to support her are, in fact, ignoring her."

Dyke also warned that Somerset councils are under strain: applications for EHCPs are up 26% in the county, she said, and each plan costs about £6,000 to produce. Yet not every child needs an EHCP; many are forced into that route because alternative support is lacking.

"Changing an EHCP is arduous, expensive and time‑consuming. It often does not matter whether a child has an EHCP if the school they attend is not equipped to provide the support outlined in the plan. This is a structural barrier that is impeding common sense," she said.

She urged Ministers to use the forthcoming schools White Paper to deliver a more flexible, properly funded and child‑centred system. "If these priorities are not central to the system, we will continue to fail a generation of children. We need to recognise diversity and provide the education of the future now."

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