More than 150 families with children who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have written an open letter to Prime Minister Andy Burnham, pleading with him to meet them within his first 100 days of leadership. They describe a system that has left parents "on their knees" and children experiencing suicidal thoughts.
Parents speak out
Laura Mayes, 34, from Leicestershire, has three children aged 10, seven, and two. Her two boys are in specialist education, and she fears reforms could take that away. "I would rather go to jail than send them into hell every day," she said. She recalled how her eldest son, who is autistic, was bullied in mainstream school, and she was forced to remove him at age five.
Tracy Winchester, 46, from Worcestershire, runs support groups for thousands of SEND families. She said, "It's really brutal out there at the moment and these parents are on their knees." She added that there is "no funding and no accountability," and that families are facing fines for absences and even suicidal thoughts among children.
Impact on families
Lisa Smith, 49, from Redditch, said her 15-year-old daughter has been out of school for two years. "She went from waiting to be an architect at school to saying she doesn't see the point in living past 20," Smith said. She described feeling blamed as a parent and being told her daughter needed to be a "fully formed adult."
The open letter to the Prime Minister states: "Many of our children can't attend mainstream schools. Too few have access to local specialist schools that meet their needs, so many are at home with us. We've given up jobs, accumulated debts, and spent years battling an unaccountable SEND system."
Concerns over reforms
The Government has proposed significant changes to the SEND system, aiming to shift support into mainstream education. The consultation on the white paper ends at the end of this month. Parents fear the reforms will reduce legal protections for their children.
Dan Boatright-Greene, a Worcestershire councillor with a neurological condition, expressed concerns about the move to mainstream. "If you want to go back to classes of 16 then it will work," he said. He added that teachers are already under pressure and questioned where the line between teacher and medical professional lies.
Official responses
A Reform UK spokesman said: "No Reform UK councils are cutting spending on SEND or children's services." He noted that spending on SEND has risen by 58% over the last decade and highlighted improvements in some areas.
A Department for Education spokesperson said: "Backed by £4billion, our reforms will ensure every child gets the right support in their local school without having to fight for it." They added that they are creating 60,000 more specialist places.
