Many children and young people in Scotland have already returned to school. Families across the rest of the UK are preparing for the start of the new academic year.
The education advisers on our helpline are receiving an increasing number of calls from parents and carers whose children are still without a school place.
To support families, we have put together guidance on local authority responsibilities in securing a suitable school place. We’ve also included practical steps parents and carers can take if their child is still awaiting a placement.
England
If your child has an education, health, and care (EHC) plan
If a school placement has not yet been secured for September, the local authority remains responsible for meeting your child’s special educational needs (SEN). They will continue to consult suitable schools and education providers to secure an appropriate placement as soon as possible.
You should:
Contact your local authority caseworker to request an update on the progress of securing a placement.
Ask for information about the schools or settings they have consulted and any responses received.
Request details of any interim educational provision arranged if your child is unable to attend school at the start of term.
Keep a record of all communication with the local authority.
Children with an EHC plan should not be left without appropriate educational provision simply because a placement has not yet been identified.
If your child does not have an EHC plan
The local authority still has a duty to ensure that every child of compulsory school age has access to suitable education.
You should:
Contact the school admissions team to confirm that your application has been received and is being processed.
Ask whether your child has been placed on waiting lists for preferred schools.
Request information about alternative schools with available places in your area.
Keep evidence of your application and any correspondence received.
If your child does not have a school place when term starts, continue to stay in regular contact with the local authority. Ask what actions they are taking to secure a placement as quickly as possible.
Northern Ireland
Children with special education needs (SEN) may have a Statement of SEN. The Education Authority must secure the provision set out in the statement and name a suitable school.
If your child is waiting for a placement, the Education Authority still has a duty to ensure your child receives appropriate education.
If your child doesn’t have a confirmed place, the local authority still has a responsibility to provide an appropriate education. Parents can make use of dispute resolution, mediation, or appeal to the Additional Support Needs Tribunal for Scotland.
Local authorities have a duty to secure the additional learning provision set out in an IDP and to name an appropriate school or educational setting. If your child does not have a school place, the local authority remains responsible for ensuring they receive suitable education and the support identified in their IDP.
Need more advice?
If you’re unsure what to do next, our free helpline advisers can talk you through your options. Call us on 0808 808 3555 or visit our education pages for more advice.
This advice applies in England only.
From this September, over 500,000 additional pupils in England will be eligible for free school meals. Different criteria applies in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
The government announced a change to eligibility rules for low-income households in June 2025. Until this summer, children from families getting Universal Credit would get free school meals if their household income was below certain thresholds or they were in certain protected groups.
From September 2026, all children from families getting Universal Credit will receive free school meals, regardless of parental income.
How do I get free school meals?
Most schools will have asked parents to apply before the school year using their National Insurance Number.
Many children have missed out due to dietary requirements, medical absence or because they have an education, health and care (EHC) plan with an education package called EOTAS (Education Otherwise Than At School) settings.
Families might be eligible for help with the costs of school uniform and bursaries and grants. Contact your local authority for details of the help available in your area.
Some children get free school transport because their household gets Universal Credit and they live too far from the nearest suitable school. It is important to be aware that these households still need to meet earnings thresholds.
The new school year begins this week in some councils in Scotland and is approaching soon elsewhere. Many families are buying uniforms, packing school bags and getting back into routines. But if your child is disabled or has additional support/learning needs, they can be a lot more to think about.
Whether your child is starting a new school, moving class or simply returning after the summer holiday, taking a little time to prepare now can help make the transition easier.
We’ve put together this back-to-school checklist for families across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Every child is different, so not every point will apply to your family. We hope it helps you feel more prepared for the new term.
1. Check your child’s education support is up-to-date
2. Make contact with the school before the first day
Starting the conversation early can help everyone feel more confident.
It may help to:
Introduce yourself to your child’s new teacher or support staff.
Find out who your main point of contact will be.
Share any important updates from over the summer.
Check you’re signed up to any school communication apps or systems.
If your child is anxious about change, ask whether they can see photos of their classroom or teachers before term starts. Schools often have email addresses on their websites where you can contact someone without needing to call an office. Alternatively, or you can use the dedicated communication app/platform you would normally use.
3. Review medical and healthcare arrangements
If your child has medical needs, it’s important that everyone knows what support they’ll need from day one.
Check that:
Any healthcare plan has been reviewed and shared with relevant staff.
Medication is in date, clearly labelled and ready to be taken into school if needed.
Emergency medication is available where required.
Ask for any old/out of date medication has been handed back to you.
Staff have received any necessary training to support your child safely.
Emergency contact details are up to date.
4. Confirm transport arrangements
If your child receives home-to-school transport, don’t assume everything is unchanged from last year. Check:
Whether your local authority, Education Authority and/or transport provider has confirmed transport arrangements.
Pick-up and drop-off times.
Whether there are any new drivers or escorts.
That transport staff understand your child’s communication, medical or sensory needs.
If something doesn’t feel right, contact your local authority/trust as soon as possible.
5. Check equipment and technology
Summer is a good time to make sure everything is working properly.
This could include:
AAC or communication devices.
Hearing equipment.
Tablets or laptops used for learning.
Wheelchairs or mobility equipment.
Sensory aids such as ear defenders, fidget tools or weighted items.
It’s also worth labelling equipment, clothing and uniform to help prevent items being lost.
Depending on where you live in the UK, schools have legal duties to support disabled pupils and make appropriate or ‘reasonable’ adjustments.
Think about whether your child needs support with things like:
Toileting or personal care.
Eating or drinking.
Rest breaks.
Sensory regulation.
Managing fatigue.
Movement around school.
Exam access arrangements (where relevant).
Flexible timetables or transition support.
Clothing/uniform.
Check the relevant policies relating to your child’s needs on the school website before requesting adjustments that are needed.
If your child’s needs have changed, speak to school before term begins rather than waiting.
7. Prepare for the school routine
Returning after six weeks can be a big adjustment.
To help your child prepare, you could:
Gradually move bedtime and morning routines back towards school hours.
Talk through what the first day will look like.
Use visual timetables or social stories if these help your child. You can find many good social stories on Twinkl’s website, as well as making your own using Canva, for example.
Practise the school journey if they’re starting somewhere new.
Pack school bags and organise uniform a day or two before term starts.
Remember that it can take time to settle back into routine, and that’s OK.
8. Don’t forget the practical things
A few final checks can help avoid last-minute stress.
Have you remembered to:
Label school uniform and PE kit? If you have a child that likes to take their shoes off for example at school, it’s always worth labelling inside the shoes too.
Check whether any clothing or footwear needs replacing?
Update emergency contact details?
Tell school about any changes at home or in your child’s circumstances?
Check dates for inset days, appointments or school events?
9. Benefits and financial support
The start of the school year can be expensive, and disabled children and their families often have extra costs.
It is worth checking your eligibility, if you don’t know it already, for the following:
Whether you will need to budget for replacement sensory items or specialist equipment.
10. Lunch, snacks and dietary needs
This can be a huge issue for many families. Especially those with children living with ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder). Check the school’s policy online, especially where a child needs a specific drink, in their water bottle but the school has a water-only policy. Consider the following:
Does school know about any allergies?
Have safe foods changed over the summer?
Is a packed lunch agreed if needed?
Are feeding plans up to date?
Does your child need support at lunchtime?
11. Friendships and well-being
Returning to school can be exciting, but it can also feel overwhelming. Children may worry about making friends again, coping with change or moving into a new class or school.
Parent carers could think about:
Arranging a playdate before school starts.
Looking at photos of school.
Talking positively about familiar adults.
Recognising that settling in may take time.
12. Changes over the summer
Has anything changed since last term?
For example:
New diagnosis.
Medication changes.
Mobility changes.
Behaviour changes.
Communication changes.
Puberty.
Sleep difficulties.
Schools won’t automatically know unless someone tells them. If things have changed, it’s worth getting in touch.
13. If it’s not perfect, don’t panic
The first few weeks of term are often a settling-in period for everyone. Even with careful planning, things may not go exactly as expected.
If something isn’t working, try speaking to school/college as early as possible. Small adjustments made early can often prevent bigger problems later.
Every child settles at their own pace, and it’s perfectly normal for routines to take a little while to fall back into place.
The review follows concerns the Transport Select Committee raised in 2025. The committee found that longstanding accessibility failings are having a significant negative impact on disabled people’s lives. These failings are seen across all forms of transport.
The review will examine whether existing laws provide enough protection and support for disabled passengers. The Law Commission will consider whether:
The law should be strengthened and made more consistent.
Complaints and remedies are effective.
Enforcement bodies have sufficient powers to hold transport operators to account.
The review, commissioned by the Department for Transport, began in Spring 2026 and is due to report in Spring 2029. It will place the lived experiences of disabled people at its heart.
Tell us about the transport barriers you face
We want to ensure families with disabled children and young people can contribute to this review in the early stages. This is an opportunity to raise any issues you face, including transport to education.
We’ll use your feedback to identify the issues that matter most to families. We’ll share anonymous evidence and common themes with the Law Commission to shapee its review recommendations. But we will not share your personal details.
This advice applies in England only.
Latest Department for Education (DfE) data shows that permanent exclusions and suspensions in schools in England have decreased overall. However, there has been an increase in children being suspended or excluded from primary school.
Pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) continue to have higher rates of suspension and permanent exclusion. Children with education health and care (EHC) plans remain three times more likely to be suspended or permanently excluded. Those on SEN support are four times more likely.
This reflects what Contact hears on our helpline, where we continue to receive calls from parents when disabled children are suspended or permanently excluded. This includes enquiries from parents of younger children, including reception and years one and two. We also hear from parent carers who feel under pressure to remove their child, find another school or are “advised” to keep a child at home for part of the day.
Exclusions must be legal and proportionate
Angie Fenn, Contact’s Head of Information and Advice, said:
“Schools must follow the law. Permanent exclusions must be for disciplinary reasons, be fair and proportionate. A decision to permanently exclude must be a last resort. Statutory guidance includes details on steps to take before making a decision to suspend or exclude a disabled child, such as increasing their SEN support or considering alternative disciplinary measures.
“We speak to parent carers who are concerned about what the exclusion means for their child’s education and future. Many tell us that their disabled child has not received the identified support they need, prior to the exclusion. Our helpline can advise on next steps and school and local authority duties.”
Contact’s website has lots of information for what to do if your child is at risk of suspension or exclusion or they are put on a part-time timetable against your wishes. Our expert parent advisers on our helpline are also on hand to talk through these issues.
DfE updates exclusion guidance
The DfE has published updated guidance on suspension and permanent exclusion for local authority-maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units. We welcome the focus on off-rolling and safeguarding in schools.
The update follows the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act receiving Royal Assent in April.
Changes to the guidance, which came into force from 26 July, relate to a setting’s legal right to direct pupils off-site to improve behaviour; how settings can manage moves to another school; and instructions around separating pupils for safeguarding reasons.
The guidance also expands the list of examples of “off-rolling”. This is where schools pressure parents to take their child off the school roll, either to home education or another setting.
This Q&A for was families in England, but you can find advice on this topic wherever you live in the UK on our school transport webpages.
Thank you to everyone who submitted a question to our recent home-to-school transport Q&A. We received a wide range of enquiries from families across England, covering transport to school, college and post-16 education for children and young people with SEND.
Although every family’s circumstances are different, several common themes emerged.
Transport changes after age 16
The most common questions related to what happens when a young person turns 16.
Many families were surprised to learn that the law changes at the end of compulsory school age. While local authorities have a legal duty to provide free home-to-school transport for eligible children aged five–16, there is no equivalent duty to provide free transport after age 16. Instead, councils must publish a Post-16 Transport Policy Statement explaining what support is available locally and how eligibility is assessed.
Having an education, health and care (EHC) plan does not automatically entitle a young person to free transport after age 16. Local authorities should consider individual needs, disabilities, ability to travel independently and other relevant circumstances when making decisions.
Understanding your local authority’s transport policy
Many questions highlighted how important it is to read your local authority’s transport policy carefully.
Each council sets out its own eligibility criteria, application process, appeal arrangements and, where applicable, any parental contributions towards transport costs.
Families should always check application deadlines, as late applications may delay decisions before the new academic year.
Appeals and challenging decisions
Several families asked what they could do if transport had been refused or changed.
Where a local authority refuses transport or asks families to contribute towards costs, there is usually an appeals process. When challenging a decision, it can help to refer directly to the council’s own transport policy, relevant statutory guidance and any supporting evidence about the young person’s needs and circumstances.
Parent preference and school transport
A number of questions focused on situations where a school had been named because of parental preference.
In some circumstances, where a local authority believes another nearer suitable school could meet a child’s needs, this may affect entitlement to transport. Whether this applies depends on the individual circumstances and how the placement decision was made.
Personal Transport Budgets
Some families asked whether they could arrange transport themselves.
Where transport support is agreed, some local authorities may offer a Personal Transport Budget or similar arrangement instead of organised transport. This allows eligible families to make their own travel arrangements where appropriate.
Individual circumstances matter
We also received questions about reduced timetables, shared care arrangements, changes in family circumstances, very young children starting school, transport during periods of extreme heat, and young people aged 19–25.
These situations often depend on individual circumstances, the relevant legislation and the local authority’s published policies. In many cases there is no single answer that applies to every family.
Need advice about your own situation?
Our responses in this Q&A were tailored to each family’s individual circumstances. If you need advice about your own child or young person’s transport arrangements, our free helpline can provide guidance based on your specific situation.
Thank you again to everyone who took the time to send us a question.
Andy Burnham MP takes office today, becoming the next Prime Minster. Families across the UK will be hoping that improving support for disabled children and young people becomes an early priority.
Drawing on the experiences of the hundreds of thousands of families Contact supports each year, we know parents want practical changes that make everyday life easier, reduce unnecessary stress and end the constant battles many face to get the support they need. There are many challenges ahead, but there are also opportunities to make meaningful progress from day one.
“The first 100 days of a new government set the tone for what follows. Families with disabled children aren’t asking for special treatment. They’re asking for practical changes that remove unnecessary barriers and give their children the opportunity to thrive. These three actions would make a real difference to thousands of families across the country.”
Contact CEO Anna Bird
Here are three opportunities we believe should be at the heart of Mr Burnham’s first 100 days.
Unlock Child Trust Funds and Junior ISAs for disabled young people
Around 80,000 disabled young people who lack the mental capacity to manage their own finances are unable to access savings held in Child Trust Funds and Junior ISAs because of an outdated, costly and lengthy court process.
There is now real momentum behind finding a solution. Baroness Levitt recently brought together ministers, financial services providers, charities and parent carers to explore practical UK-wide options. We welcome that commitment. We urge the government to build on this work so disabled young people can finally access money that belongs to them.
The solution we are championing could unlock more than £210 million belonging to disabled young people. And by building on existing industry processes, it avoids creating significant additional costs for government.
Create a fairer, simpler social care system for disabled children
Too many parent carers tell us that asking for help feels like a battle. Families often have to fight for basic support, repeat their stories time and again, and reach crisis point before help is available. Some families even tell us they feel blamed simply for asking for the support their child is entitled to.
The Law Commission has already set out clear recommendations to modernise disabled children’s social care law in England. Implementing these recommendations would create a simpler, fairer and kinder system, giving families greater confidence that support will be available when they need it, preventing crises and reducing the stigma that too often surrounds asking for help.
Build trust in SEND reforms by listening to families
The SEND White Paper in England presents an opportunity to improve support, but many families remain worried about the proposals. Contact has been working with parent carers to understand what needs to change. Families consistently tell us they want confidence that the support promised to their child will actually be delivered.
As the proposals are developed, we urge Ministers and officials to listen carefully to families. They must ensure that support set out in Individual Support Plans is legally enforceable. There should be clear rights of appeal when support is not provided.
Children and families need a SEND system that builds trust, strengthens accountability and improves outcomes.
Looking ahead
These three opportunities are practical, achievable and would make a real difference to disabled children and their families. They should also mark the beginning of a longer-term commitment to building a more secure future.
By listening to families, Mr Burnham and his ministerial team have an opportunity to create a fairer, kinder and more inclusive system that gives every disabled child and young person the chance to thrive.
Contact stands ready to work constructively with the new government, helping ensure parent carers have meaningful opportunities to share their experiences and shape the policies and laws that affect their families.
Inclusion bases are part of the government’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms. The government is introducing them while it reviews feedback to its consultation on other proposed legal changes. The government wants every secondary school to have an inclusion base by 2030.
Families who contact our helpline tell us that experiences of inclusion bases vary widely. Some children thrive with the extra support, while others feel separated from their peers or insufficiently supported and need a special school.
The government has said it will publish parent‑friendly factsheets soon. We will share these as soon as they are available.
What are inclusion bases?
“Inclusion base” is a broad term covering different types of support spaces in mainstream schools. These include what many families already know as resource bases, specialist units or SEND hubs.
Bases are usually located away from the main classroom. They offer quieter or sensory‑friendly spaces, small‑group teaching, specialist support, and help with regulation, communication or confidence. The aim is to help children stay included in mainstream education while getting the support they need.
What the guidance says
There are two types of inclusion bases.
Support bases (school‑funded) are mainly for children who do not have an education, health and care (EHC) plan, but need more help than the classroom can provide. Under the SEND reforms, this sits within the Targeted Plus level of support.
Support bases should help children spend more time in mainstream lessons, be part of the whole school, be led by specialist teachers, and never be used as disciplinary spaces. They can range from small hubs to separate classroom‑style spaces.
Specialist bases (local authority‑funded) are for children who need more specialist teaching and support, usually those with an EHC plan.
Local authorities must:
Identify the group of children the base will support (for example autism, social, emotional mental health needs, or speech and language needs).
Commission any therapeutic input.
Involve families, schools, health and social care in designing and reviewing the base.
Academies that want to open a specialist base must involve the Secretary of State for Education. For less common needs such as physical disabilities or hearing impairment, commissioning may need to happen across a wider region.
The guidance also notes that some children without an EHC plan may be able to access specialist bases in certain circumstances.
A “spectrum of support”
The guidance says inclusion bases should support children who are mostly in mainstream but need occasional help, alongside children who need to spend more time in the base.
Schools must identify the main group of children the base is designed for. For example, children with speech and language needs, sensory needs, or social and emotional needs.
Concerns families have raised
Parents tell us that inclusion bases can work well when they are properly funded, well-staffed, clearly designed around a specific group of children, and genuinely focused on inclusion.
But families also raise concerns. Based on what we hear, and what the guidance says, we are watching for:
Children who do not fit the chosen “cohort”. It is unclear how schools will support children whose needs fall outside the base’s focus
Funding and accountability. Without clear rules, there is a risk bases will not have the staffing or resources they need.
How different types of bases work together. The guidance does not fully explain whether schools can run both support bases and specialist bases, or how or if they should be combined.
Variability between schools. Because the guidance is non‑statutory, provision may look very different from one school to another.
Contact continues to call on the government to make sure inclusion bases are properly funded, staffed and designed with families, so they promote genuine inclusion rather than segregation.
The Department for Education (DfE) is now reviewing the responses submitted to the consultation before publishing its formal response later this year.
The response will set out the feedback received and which proposals the government intends to change, take forward or develop further. Further policy development and engagement will continue over this period.
It follows feedback from families, charities and campaign groups that it was missing from the government’s Schools White Paper, despite it being a lifeline for many children and young people with special educational needs.
There are 16,000 children and young people with an EOTAS package. Over a third have a mental health condition and over a third are autistic. Children who cannot be educated in a school setting are often experiencing burnout and trauma.
We are concerned that the current proposals risk reducing legal rights to an EOTAS package. We are keen that families whose children have EOTAS to share their views.
Only way he can learn
One parent explained why EOTAS is so vital for her son: “Our son is a bright and wonderful boy that cannot attend school. We have tried every option for him and now the only way he can learn is at home, with an EOTAS package. He was initially home educated until we tried school aged 6. This was very distressing for him and triggered obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and extreme anxiety. We returned to home education, and he was diagnosed with Autism and ADHD. He was seen by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) aged 10. CAMHS supported us to get him a very specialist setting aged 11. The battle to get the placement with the local authority, broke us as parents, but we knew it was his only chance of a school education. Sadly, after two years his mental health rapidly declined. He was so severely unwell it became clear he could no longer attend any school. It took me over 6 months to produce the evidence he needed for a bespoke EOTAS package for his GCSE years. From September he will have 15 hours of online tutoring, and 4 hours of mentoring. EOTAS is the only way our son can have the safety of home, whilst receiving the education he needs to have a chance at a future.”
Local authority remains legally responsible
EOTAS is a formal special education package provided under an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP). The local authority remains legally responsible for maintaining this package. Under this arrangement, the child or young person is not on roll at a school or post-16 institution. Instead, they receive their education and special educational provision either at home or, in some cases, within an external setting that is not registered as an educational setting.
School and college transport is a major concern for families with disabled children. Parents tell us their transport applications have been refused, or that they are worried about the suitability and safety of the arrangements offered.
We also hear from parent carers of young people moving on to college who are unsure about their transport rights or offered unsuitable options such as public transport bus passes or personal travel budgets to drive their young person to school or college.
That is why we are providing a home to school/college transport Q&A.
This is your chance to get clear, tailored advice from our education helpline advisers.
Also, see our nations webpages for parent carers in for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
Many of you will have seen the deeply troubling allegations reported by ITV News last week. A whistleblower described practices within a local authority that allegedly delayed or obstructed children and young people with SEND from accessing the support they need.
These allegations must be fully and independently investigated. They echo concerns that families share with us every day on our helpline and in our community services about lengthy delays, inconsistent decision-making and continuous battles to secure the support their children are legally entitled to.
Local authorities must ensure their decision-making is transparent, lawful and centred on the needs and rights of children and young people. These allegations also reinforce why the planned SEND reforms will only work if they strengthen and not weaken support, accountability and families confidence in the system. Families deserve a system they can trust – one that works with them, not against them.
If you need advice about routes to challenge local authority decisions, including complaints and lodging appeals to the SEND Tribunal, please call our helpline on 0808 808 3555.
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