UK Parents Demand SEND System Reforms
Parents, students, and educators in the UK are calling for major reforms to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system. Public feedback highlights a demand for clearer and faster pathways to support, a shift away from "one-size-fits-all" solutions toward individualized planning, and better neurodiversity training for school staff.
- The number of students with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), a legal document entitling them to support, reached 576,474 as of January 2024, marking an 11.5% increase from the previous year and a 140% rise since 2015. - The current system is widely considered financially unsustainable, with the National Audit Office highlighting that a 58% increase in funding between 2014 and 2024 has not led to better outcomes. Local authorities are projected to accumulate deficits of £14 billion by 2027-28 due to these costs. - In response, the government is planning a major overhaul of the SEND system, to be detailed in a Schools White Paper. From 2028, the government plans to absorb all SEND costs within the overall central government budget, shifting the financial responsibility from local authorities. - The proposed reforms aim to be based on five principles: early intervention, local provision, fairness in resourcing, evidence-based effectiveness, and shared responsibility between education, health, and care services. - A key point of contention is the SEND tribunal system, which handles appeals from parents regarding EHCPs. The number of registered appeals has grown significantly, and in cases that proceed to a tribunal hearing, 99% result in a finding favorable to the parents. - Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) have consistently identified "serious weaknesses" in local SEND provision, citing poor coordination between health, education, and social care services, which leads to slow and ineffective support for children. - The legislative framework for the current system is the Children and Families Act 2014, which introduced EHCPs to replace the previous system of "statements" of SEN and extended support up to age 25.
