Nearly 56,000 children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are expected to miss school this September despite being enrolled, an analysis of YouGov data has found.
According to polling commissioned by Ambitious about Autism, 3% of parents of children with SEND did not expect them attend school this September, despite being enrolled. This equates to 55,750 children with SEND in England.
Among parents and carers whose child was enrolled but not expected to attend school in September, 11% said their child’s mental health would prevent them from attending, while 9% said the school place offered was not suitable for their child’s needs.
The polling also reveals that most parents lack confidence in mainstream schools’ ability to support their children. Most were not confident that mainstream schools have the staff (77%), expertise and training (69%), or resources (78%) needed to support children and young people with SEND.
Carrie from Newton Aycliffe in County Durham is not expecting her 11-year-old autistic son to be able to access a full education this September.
She said: “The warning signs are already there. His transition days have shown that he’s struggling to cope, and the school is already talking about reduced timetables and alternative provision. I’m being told to wait until Christmas before anything changes, but by then the damage could already be done. He loves learning and is capable of achieving so much in the right environment. My fear is that we’re watching a child being set up to fail simply because the system has prioritised cost over need.”
Jess, based in Somerset, said her 10-year-old son will also be out of school in September following significant delays getting his Education, Health and Care plan.
She said: “Despite his diagnosis and clear difficulties in school, our application was initially refused. We now have a draft EHC plan but no suitable school placement has been found for September. He is really upset about this. He feels as though he has been thrown on the junk heap and is worried that he is falling even further behind.”
The findings come as the Government considers significant reforms to England’s SEND system, including the introduction of Individual Support Plans (ISPs) and National Inclusion Standards for mainstream schools.
Schools will have a legal duty to create ISPs which would set out a child’s needs and the support they should receive. However, they will not have a legal duty to deliver everything included in the plan. National Inclusion Standards would set expectations for how mainstream schools support children with SEND.
Ambitious about Autism is concerned that these reforms will not deliver meaningful change unless they are legally enforceable. The polling suggests parents and carers share these concerns. If Individual Support Plans were introduced, almost nine in ten (89%) said schools should be legally required to deliver the support outlined in the plan, while 84% said schools should be legally required to develop and review plans with parents.
There is also strong support for enforceable national standards, with 70% saying National Inclusion Standards should be legally binding. A majority (59%) said families should be able to take legal action where a school fails to provide support agreed in an Individual Support Plan.
Jolanta Lasota, Chief Executive of Ambitious about Autism, said:
“Thousands of children with SEND will be missing from classrooms this September and losing out on opportunities to learn, make friends and be part of their school community.
“This is yet another stark reminder of the importance of getting SEND reform right, but our polling suggests that many parents share our concerns about proper accountability for SEND support under the Government’s proposals.
“Individual Support Plans and National Inclusion Standards will only work if there are consequences if they are not followed. A system that looks inclusive on paper but leaves pupils unsupported, excluded from learning or dependent on families fighting for help will not achieve meaningful reform.”
Ambitious about Autism wants the Government to publish a full impact assessment on its proposed changes, including ISPs, before making changes to families’ existing legal rights. It also wants National Inclusion Standards to be legally binding.
The charity has been running a campaign inviting autistic young people and their families to share their experiences of being or feeling absent from school, and the impact this has had on them. Since its launch in February, over 100 parents and young people have shared their ‘Absence Notes’ outlining their experiences.
The charity is encouraging supporters to turn absence into action by signing a collective note to the Government, with the aim of ensuring SEND reform works for autistic young people.
For more information visit www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk
