AN ISLE of Wight Green Party politician joined dozen of parents and children to ask the education secretary to properly fund special educational needs and disability (SEND) support in schools.

Vix Lowthion, Green Party national spokesperson for education, joined the National Education Union's rally and walk to the Department for Education in the heart of the capital, to present their 34,000 strong petition to education secretary Damian Hinds.

Over 2,000 children with SEND are currently not attending school, due to the lack of support and funding to meet their many and varied needs.

Up to 91 per cent of schools have seen cuts to their budgets – and in many cases this has led to losing the vital learning support assistants which SEND children need to access learning.

Emma Parker, a parent who travelled from County Durham, stood outside the DfE and spoke about her struggles to find appropriate schooling for her son James, 12, who has autism and ADHD.

Vix said "Every single child in our schools is being affected by these appalling cuts to SEND education support for our most vulnerable and isolated young people. As a parent and a teacher I see the very real impact these school cuts have in the classroom every single day: we need an education system where everyone gets the same fair chance to achieve.

"Damian Hinds has been given a powerful message by parents and teacher from across the country, and I urge him to properly fund our SEND support and fulfil his basic statutory responsibilities."