One in eight children in special schools have parents who spent £5,000 or more on their assessments, according to research by the Sutton Trust that reveals huge inequalities in how families navigate England's special educational needs system.
The report found that 65% of working-class families spent nothing on their child's education, health and care plan (EHCP) application, compared with only 29% of middle-class families. In contrast, one in ten middle-class families spent over £5,000 on the process, including medical assessments, consultants and legal advice.
Affluent parents were also more likely to contest local authority decisions at tribunals, the vast majority of which result in the successful award of an EHCP. Overall, middle-class parents were eight percentage points more likely to obtain an EHCP than working-class parents.
Nick Harrison, chief executive of the Sutton Trust, said: 'It's unacceptable that a child's background can dictate whether they get the help they need to thrive and be happy at school. Right now, disadvantaged kids with Send are being failed by a system beset with inconsistency and mind-boggling bureaucracy.'
The research comes as the government plans to overhaul Send provision. Despite earlier reports that EHCPs would be scrapped, sources have told the Guardian that the plans will survive the reforms. Margaret Mulholland of the Association of School and College Leaders warned of a 'two-tier system', with desperate families often paying for assessments themselves.
Georgia Gould, minister for school standards, said the report 'lays bare how badly children with Send have been let down'. The Sutton Trust found that children with special needs from poor backgrounds were 'doubly disadvantaged', likely to receive less support and achieve worse exam results.
