Parents and guardians in the South East are calling for a major overhaul of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system. They say the current setup is harming their children’s mental health.
Tora, a mother from East Sussex, said the lack of SEND support has hurt her 16-year-old son Mason’s wellbeing. Mason has autism, type 1 diabetes, and a severe learning disability. He was asked to leave his special needs school last October because the school could no longer meet his needs.
Since then, Tora has applied to 20 different schools for her son. Each one rejected him, saying his needs are either too great or not enough. The effect on Mason has been severe. Tora said, “He lost all his confidence. At first, he wouldn’t even leave the house. His behavior got worse and he became very challenging.”
East Sussex County Council said it cannot comment on individual cases but works with parents to find education settings that meet children’s needs. The council added that while demand for special school places is high nationwide, East Sussex has more special school places than many other areas.
The demand for SEND support is rising quickly. The number of Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) issued in England grew by 140% between 2015 and 2024, according to the Office for National Statistics. EHCPs help children with SEND get the support they need.
Despite this, funding has not kept up. The National Audit Office expects a £4.6 billion shortfall in school budgets across England next year. This funding gap makes it harder for councils and schools to support children like Mason.
Thirteen-year-old Tommy has autism and other special needs. He spent three years in mainstream schools in Kent. His guardian Denise said the schools tried their best but were not ready to meet Tommy’s challenges. This caused him a lot of stress. Denise said, “He would bang his head, not sleep, and scream. Mentally, it was wearing him out.”
After three years, Tommy got a place at a specialist school for children with SEND in Kent. Now, he attends an independent specialist school for children with autism and other needs. Denise says Tommy is “much happier” but said the fight for council funding was tough. She says more special schools are needed and calls for a full overhaul of the SEND system.
Kent County Council has been asked for comment.
Mike Martin, the Member of Parliament for Tunbridge Wells, plans to hold a debate in Parliament about SEND services in the South East. He wants to raise awareness of the system’s problems faced by families in the region.
The government says the SEND system was “left on its knees” when they took over. A Department for Education spokesperson said they are working on changes to improve support and stop parents from having to fight for help.
The Education Secretary has promised that children will always have a legal right to extra SEND support. The government is working with parents and experts on solutions. These include more early help to stop needs getting worse and £740 million to help councils create more specialist places in mainstream schools.
The government is expected to announce further reforms to the SEND system this Autumn.
