“There’s nothing special about a child having a school place”

2 mins read

Wednesday 14 May 2025

Yesterday parents from across England met in parliament to urge the government to boost support in school for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Ben Maguire, MP for North Cornwall, sponsored the roundtable event. Our Chief Executive Anna Bird spoke alongside parents, and this is what she said:

“There’s nothing ‘special’ about a child having a school place. Enjoying school. Feeling safe there. Learning. But the reality is that for too many children, these things are out of reach.

“Nurseries, schools and colleges should provide extra support – called SEN Support – for children with SEND who need it. SEN Support is there to make local schools more inclusive. Schools get funding to put it in place. Government guidance tells schools how it should work. But it’s not happening.

“Contact and IPSEA – Independent Provider of Special Education Advice surveyed 2,000 families with children who have additional needs, but don’t have an education, health and care (EHC) plan. We found the majority of children are not getting support, and this is driving demand for EHC plans and leading to children missing school.

“So what do we do about it? We think there is a very simple solution. We’re asking Government to amend section 66 of the Children and Families Act 2014 so that all schools, colleges and nurseries have a primary legal duty to:

  1. Identify a child’s special educational needs.
  2. Identify the support required.
  3. Deliver and review the support.

“If education settings must, instead of should, provide SEN Support, it will create a fundamental shift in the system. It will mean mainstream schools become more inclusive and more children can be educated locally. Fewer families will need to go through a painful, lengthy legal process to get an EHCP. Schools that fail to provide support will be held to account more effectively.

“The provisions are already there, we just want them to have more teeth. And we can do that with a simple amendment to the current act. This is the message Contact, IPSEA and eight fantastic parent campaigners took to Westminster today.

“If the government is serious about making schools more inclusive, strengthening SEN support is the place to start.”