Biography
Lord Holmes of Richmond has engaged substantially with special educational needs and disability (SEND) education through seven debate speeches on the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, arguing that current SEND provision is not functioning effectively and emphasizing that children require diverse educational approaches tailored to individual needs rather than identical provision. He also contributed to committee work on education for 11 to 16-year-olds, where he expressed broad agreement with the committee's recommendations for improving the education system.
Generated from their own Hansard record, below
“My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow my noble friend Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay and to agree with everything that he said. I will build on his blank cheque, which was perfectly positioned phraseology. My Amendment 71 seeks to build on that in order to get the most from the moolah.”
Record by topic
- Learning disability & autism292nd of 89914.5
What they’ve said
“…er of personalised learning, not least for those who find themselves all too often at the sharp end: those with special educational needs or disabilities. Yet, because of the platforms on those smartphones, we are on the brink—understandably and desperately unfortunately—of a ban.”
Artificial Intelligence: Impact on Human Relationships and Society · 2026-06-05 · Read on Hansard ↗
“…Special educational needs and disability education are not working in the UK right now. This is no fault of the excellent SENCOs up and down the country. It is no fault of teachers, who try to teach all of the children in front of them in their classes.”
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill · 2025-09-16 · Read on Hansard ↗
“…Quite simply, it addresses the issue we discussed in the previous group: current SEND provision is not working. It is not working for the SENCOs, who try their utmost; it is not working for the teachers, who strain every sinew to educate all in their classrooms; it is not working for the parents; and, most importantly,…”
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill · 2025-09-16 · Read on Hansard ↗
“…g the particularity of individual provision—not least for children and young people who may be disabled or have special educational needs—the difficulty for parents in trying to get an EHCP, and the often prohibitive cost involved, even if they can go through that time-consuming and terribly intense process.”
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill · 2025-09-10 · Read on Hansard ↗
“…set out their plans for breakfast clubs, but in many ways those plans are silent when it comes to children with special educational needs and disability. There is a whole series of risks with not being clear in the Bill in relation to the issues that are specific to those groups of children: not least the question of f…”
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill · 2025-06-19 · Read on Hansard ↗
Contributions reproduced under the Open Parliament Licence.
Related media coverage
Recent UK press coverage of their topics — not necessarily quoting them directly.
- New SEND school in Petersham completesouthlondon.co.uk