'It scares me what the future holds' - one mother's SEND school fight
The end of term is an emotional time for many - for children saying goodbye to their friends as they prepare to move schools and for parents as they watch their children grow up in the blink of an eye.
But for one West Country mum, the end of the school term is emotional for another reason.
Sarah, not her real name, looks on with pride as her friends’ children reach new milestones. But she has a hidden pain, as she remains uncertain and fearful about her own son's future.
Her son is autistic and non-verbal. He is due to start primary school in September 2024.
She says the mainstream primary school he has been offered will not be able to meet his needs and he needs to attend a specialist school.
Sarah* is currently in a legal battle with her local authority, which is why ITV News is not identifying her or her son. She is set to go to a tribunal, but it will not take place until summer 2025 - meaning she is facing home-schooling her son for the next year at least.
She said: “I sit back and I look at my children and it actually scares me what the future holds. I can't give them what they need and what they deserve and it's out of my hands completely."
Across the West Country, hundreds of families are having to go to court every year to fight for the right school place for their children. Often children are spending months, sometimes years, out of education.
For Sarah*, having to go to a tribunal is also adding more stress in an already difficult situation.
"When you go through a tribunal, you get a date given to you with a lot of paperwork. That is extremely overwhelming, a lot of wording in there. It's really difficult to understand,” she said.
She said this is often “too much” for parents like her, who are already struggling with the day to day challenges of having a child with additional needs.
“The daily battles - getting dressed, the worry of him running off. He has no understanding of danger, of risk.”
She said a slight noise might trigger a meltdown for her son and disrupt him for the rest of the day.
“It's like that ‘fight mode’ is always there and the worry at night when we're going to bed - you know, something happened today, is it going to affect his day tomorrow? Then you throw in the fact that one thing that he's entitled to is his education and he's not getting that.”
Sarah* has joined support groups to get help and advice from other parents in similar situations, but says the picture she sees is not a good one.
“It scares me, absolutely scares me,” she said. “Not only do so many children not have any form of education, but their parents are struggling - the mental health of parents is is just crippling, absolutely crippling.
“I myself have spoken to many parents who are at the end and don't know where to turn now and that and they're ready to give up."
In response to the ITV News investigation, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “This diagnosis is damning: educational outcomes for children with SEND are flatlining after years when councils and parents have been pitted against each other.
“This government will take a different approach, whether it’s transforming the early years to intervene earlier and deliver better outcomes for children, or launching our curriculum and assessment review to put high and rising standards and inclusion together at the heart of every school.
“We will restore parents’ trust that their child will get the support they need in mainstream school, if that is the right place for them. And that there will always be a place in special schools for children with the most complex needs.
“We have a broken system in desperate need of long-term renewal. I won’t make false promises, change won’t feel as quick as parents – or I – would like. I will make sure our approach is fully planned and delivered in concert with parents, schools, councils, and everyone who works with children.”
You can hear the stories of other families impacted by the SEND crisis and watch the full report on Sarah's experience on ITVX.
If you are affected by this story, support and guidance is available from The National Autistic Society and Action For Children.
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