'We're terrified our children's futures will be destroyed by huge special education shake-up'

Terrified parents have condemned a government threat to shake-up SEND education, amid fears that 250,000 pupils at mainstream schools could lose their legal guarantee of additional support.

The outcry follows suggestions by government SEND adviser Dame Christine Lenehan this week that they are considering restricting education, health and care plans (ECHPs) to children in special schools.

With the latest figures for January 2024 showing that nearly 250,000 pupils with ECHPs were in mainstream schools, compared to around 186,000 in special schools, parents fear the fall out could be devastating.

Speaking at the Schools and Academies Show in London, when asked if the Government’s redesign of the SEND (special educational needs and disability) system would mean fewer EHCPs, Dame Lenehan said: “I think probably so.”

To questions asking if narrowing of EHCPs would mean they only applied to children in special schools, she replied: “I think, to be honest, that’s the conversation we’re in the middle of.”

While insisting that any new system would “still be able to recognise and support children’s needs,” she added that the structure around ECHPs was “not fit for purpose.”

Regarded as a “lifeline” by many parents of SEND kids, EHCPs are legal documents that ensure children will receive a certain level of support in school to help with their special needs. However the number of plans has surged in recent years from 237,000 in 2016 to 576,474 in January 2024, and schools and other services have struggled to keep up with the demand.

The latest news has been met with alarm from parents and disability campaigners.

Anna Bird, chair of the Disabled Children’s Partnership, a coalition of 120 charities, tells the : “The idea of scrapping Education, Health and Care Plans [in mainstream schools] will terrify families.

“The reality parents and children face now is that an EHCP is the only way they can get an education.”

Broadcaster and autism campaigner Carrie Grant MBE, mum to four children with additional needs, adds: “When an EHCP ring-fences provision for a particular child there is a sense of safety, or at least a basis for negotiation between parents and school. If this money becomes available in a different form how do we make sure our child’s needs are met? These are very hard times.”

READ MORE:

Hayley Harding, founder of SEND parent organisation, Let Us Learn Too, says: “These children have done nothing to hurt anyone yet and her department seem to want to make their lives even harder than they already are."

Asked by the Mirror whether the Department of Education is considering restricting EHCPs to children in specialist schools, a spokesperson said it is “actively working with parents and experts on the solutions”.

They continued: “The evidence is clear that this government inherited a SEND system left on its knees – with too many children not having their needs met and parents forced to fight for support.

“As part of our Plan for Change, we will restore the confidence of families up and down the country and deliver the improvement they are crying out for so every child can achieve and thrive.”

Parents of SEND children are horrified by rumours that will be restricted to children in specialist schools.

Aimee Bradley and husband Davin, both 41, live in Hampshire with their three autistic children, Autumn, 12, Ashton, six, and Blake, three.

Aimee says: ‘‘I am absolutely terrified. I cannot put into words the fear and panic this causes. My daughter is in mainstream school and would be completely lost without her EHCP. It is the only thing that makes it possible for her to attend school, to learn, to feel safe.

“My youngest is only three and may never get the chance to access support. If these changes go ahead, they’ll destroy children’s futures. EHCPs are not a luxury. They are the only thing standing between our children and complete exclusion from education.

“My middle child, Ashton, is in a specialist provision. My youngest, Blake, is just three. He is due to start infant school in 2026 and we are in the process of applying for his EHCP. Not clearly suited to mainstream or specialist school, without a EHCP, I have no idea how he will access education at all.

“I help run SEND Reform England and every single day we receive messages from terrified parents. Our group is full of desperate families who feel ignored and broken by the system.”

Influencer and author Lisa Lloyd, 40, lives in Aylesbury with husband Terry and their two autistic children Poppy, seven, and Finley, ten.

She says: “This is absolutely appalling. EHCPs are a lifeline for many children with SEND.

“Removing them means that we are basically being told our child doesn't matter.

“Taking away the EHCPs from children in mainstream schools who need them is going to have a knock on impact on everyone, including the teachers.

‘We need everybody to shout from the rooftops because this cannot happen.’

Nicola Holmes, 55, lives with husband Wayne and their two autistic children, Ethan, 18, and Ella, 16, in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire.

She says: ‘I’m a mother of two disabled teenagers. My daughter is autistic and doesn’t fit neatly into either mainstream or special school. My son is also autistic, and has Down’s Syndrome.

“EHCPs give us hope - hope that someone, somewhere in the system will have to listen. They give us a sliver of power in a system where parents are often made to feel powerless.

“The idea of reducing, replacing, or restricting these plans terrifies thousands of families like mine.

“‘If the government truly wants to fix SEND, it must start by listening, really listening to the people who live it every day. “

Amy White , 38, from Hampshire is mum to Jack, 11 who has autism and ADHD, and daughter Esmae, three, as well as stepmum to her partner Sam’s son Charlie, eight. She works as a SEND advocate and has written to her MP saying: “I cannot overstate how damaging such a move would be – not only to the children and families directly affected but to our entire society.

“Parents are being gaslighted and misled by local authorities. Children are denied their basic rights to an appropriate education simply because they are different.

“They are different, not less. They are the change-makers of tomorrow – but only if we protect their rights today.”

Charlotte Galbraith, 29, lives in Denham, Buckinghamshire, with her partner Callum, 29, and sons Angus, eight and Oscar, seven, who both have autism and ADHD and attend a specialist school.

She says: “EHCPs are essential for children with SEND to receive the support they need, particularly in mainstream schools. Without these plans, I worry it could lead to a rise in mental health crises among young people.”

Georgina Davies, 42, lives in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, with son Jonah, 14, who has autism and severe learning disabilities.

She says: “Removing EHCPs for children that need them would be catastrophic for countless children and families.

“Plunging the elderly and disabled into poverty isn't enough for this government now they want to sacrifice education for SEND children.”

Siobhan Stephenson , 30, from Durham, is mum to Frankie, 11, who has autism and global development delay and Ava-Mae, eight, who is autistic.

She says: “Without EHCPs for our most vulnerable children, this would be setting them up to fail.

“The government wants the next generation to be in work to better the country. But how can that be possible without an education that meets their needs?”

READ MORE:

What we know about EHCPs

Campaign Manager for the Disabled Children's Partnership, Stephen Kingdom, has explained the story so far, concerning EHCPs.

Q. Are EHCPs going to be scrapped?

A. The fact that the Government's most senior SEND adviser has said what she has certainly suggests it is a possibility. But we do not know for certain.

Q. What will they be replaced with?
A. Until the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, makes an announcement we don't know. We are very concerned that children will lose the legal right to the support they need to succeed in school.

Q. Where will the support come from if my child doesn't have an EHCP and attends a mainstream school?

A. Again, until an announcement, it is unclear where provision will come from. Most requests for EHCPs come from schools themselves, because they can see the support a child needs but don't have allocated funding in their core budgets, or shared investment from local health and social care departments, to provide that support.

Q. Will existing EHCPs be honoured?

A. If an entirely new system is introduced, you would expect there to be a proper, well-funded transition period over a number of years.

Q. Where will extra funding come from without an EHCP?

A. This is the million dollar question. The fear is that the government is prioritising saving public money over the lives and wellbeing of children and families.

Q. My teenager is about to leave school but will need support to go to college. What will happen to his support?

You would hope that provision for school leavers will continue while they are in education, up to the age of 25, as it does currently.

READ MORE: