A 16-year-old teenager, Charlotte Tall, expressed her concerns about the special educational needs system, stating that children’s prospects are being jeopardized. Charlotte, diagnosed with autism two years ago, shared her experience of missing out on school trips and proper results days due to insufficient support that led to her exclusion from the education system.

During a rally in Parliament Square, Charlotte emphasized the urgent need for action to improve the futures of children who are often neglected by the system. She highlighted the lack of support she faced after her autism diagnosis at the age of 14, which resulted in her school reducing her schedule and eventually forcing her out of education for nearly three years.

Charlotte stressed the detrimental impact on children, families, and futures caused by the current state of special educational needs services. She called for immediate change rather than waiting for years to see improvements. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson is working on plans to revamp the troubled SEND system in an upcoming white paper, with concerns raised by parents about potential alterations to Education, Health, and Care Plans due to financial constraints faced by local councils.

Agnes Agyepong, a mother from south London, highlighted the challenges she faced in getting timely diagnoses for her son, emphasizing the delays and inefficiencies within the system. She expressed worries about the possible elimination of EHCPs, which currently provide crucial tailored support to children in need. Agnes emphasized the universal impact of inadequate support in schools, affecting all children and emphasizing the need for systemic improvements.

Emma Dalmayne, a parent from south London and founder of Autistic Inclusive Meets, shared how families are resorting to homeschooling due to schools failing children with special needs. She underscored the lack of trust parents have in schools to adequately care for their children, leading to the decision to opt for alternative education methods.

At the rally, Sir Ed Davey, a parent of a disabled child and leader of the Liberal Democrats, cautioned the government that the impending SEND reforms represent a critical opportunity for improvement. He urged ministers to prioritize the needs of children and ensure that families are central to any proposed changes. MPs also discussed a petition on SEND, signed by over 122,000 individuals, urging the government to uphold the legal rights of assessments and support for vulnerable children.

In response to the petition, the Government assured that children with SEND will always have a legal entitlement to additional support, emphasizing ongoing engagement with families to enhance SEND provision and clarifying that no decisions have been made regarding legislative changes.