SEND children refused early years places

4 mins read

Tuesday 30 June 2026

This advice applies in England only.

Nearly four in 10 children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in England have been refused a place, had to leave a setting or attended fewer hours than they were entitled to.

We surveyed 168 families of young children with SEND. Parents also reported feeling dismissed or blamed at times.

Some children were offered reduced timetables from the outset because settings or schools lacked the staffing, funding or confidence to meet their needs safely. 

Mary Mulvey-Oates, Early Years Lead at Contact, says: 

“Too many families are still facing barriers to accessing the early years education and support their child is entitled to. Our survey shows that challenges around childcare, funding and specialist support often build up. This leaves parents to navigate services that are not always working together around the child.  

“Many families are unable to access their full entitlement of funded childcare. Some report just a few hours of nursery a week. As the government improves the early years SEND offer, there is a real opportunity to strengthen inclusion so that every child gets the right support from the start.” 

Family Hubs valued but under accessed

Other findings from our survey include: 

• Family Hubs appear positive where families use them, but reach is limited. Only 36.5% of respondents reported using a Family Hub, yet 72.2% of users found it welcoming. SEND-specific groups were most valued, while mainstream sessions could feel unsafe or unsuitable. 

• Portage-style support was repeatedly described as transformative. This suggests that home-visiting, modelling and relationship-based support may be particularly effective for families of young children with additional needs. 

• Reception transition is a significant pressure point for families of four–five-year-olds. Difficulties at transition include education, health and care (EHC) plan delays, placement disputes, funding concerns and reduced timetables. 

• Long waits for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) are adding to pressure on families of young disabled children. 

• Almost half (46.4%) of respondents reported difficulties relating to EHC plans. Parents frequently describe delays to assessment and decision-making alongside uncertainty about school placements and support. 

• Where systems work well, success is driven by proactive coordination between settings, families and practitioners. Information moves quickly, responsibilities are clear and practical support reaches the child’s daily setting. 
   

What Contact would like to see 

• Transition planning should start before the final term of nursery, particularly for children with unresolved EHC plan, inclusion funding or health-planning issues. 

• Every child with identified additional needs should have a “day-one inclusion” checklist. This should cover communication, sensory needs, toileting or health plans, staffing, safe spaces, visual supports and family communication arrangements. 

• A named transition lead should coordinate information from parents, nursery, school, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, health visitors and local authority teams. Families should not be required to carry the whole information-sharing burden. 

• Reduced timetables during reception transition should be time-limited, reviewed and linked to a plan for increasing attendance. They should not become the default response to a lack of preparation or staffing. 

Parents told us that the biggest difference occurs when practitioners listen to families, identify children’s needs early, and work with families to put support in place.

As the government implements Best Start in Life and proposes SEND reforms, there is a real opportunity to strengthen early years inclusion by investing in workforce confidence, parent participation and practical support that helps children access and thrive in early education. 

Contact’s support for early years families

Contact already supports families with disabled children aged five and under through our Brighter Beginnings workshops for parent carers.

The workshops are part of the Early Years SEND Partnership, helping practitioners, parent carers and local services improve early identification, strengthen joint working and provide more inclusive support for young children with SEND. 

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