Members of the UK’s largest teachers’ union have added their weight to a major campaign to defend and strengthen the legal rights of children with SEND.
The National Education Union (NEU) has announced its support for the Save Our Children’s Rights (SOCR) campaign, ahead of the publication of the Schools White Paper this term.
The announcement came as it emerged that the white paper may limit parents’ rights to appeal at tribunal over EHCPs. Recent figures showed that local authorities spend £150 million a year fighting cases, but end up losing 99% of appeals.
The SOCR and NEU are jointly calling on the Government to ensure that proposals to reform SEND include:
- Protecting existing children’s SEND rights, underpinned by clear accountability, to ensure children and young people with SEND receive the support to which they are entitled
- Retaining access to Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans for all children with SEND so that pupils have access to enforceable provision
- Creating a sustainable system with sufficient funding so that schools and support services can properly support SEND pupils
- Building SEND capacity in schools and investing in specialist services, by increasing and ringfencing investment
The legal framework is not the problem; the lack of investment and capacity is
They added that teachers and SENCOs need protected time to work with families, plan support, and lead inclusive practice, with access to specialist services before statutory assessment becomes necessary.
Daniel Kebede, general secretary, National Education Union said: “Educators see first-hand the impact of an underfunded SEND system on children, families and school staff.
“The legal framework is not the problem; the lack of investment and capacity is. The Government must listen to those working in education and commit to a properly funded, inclusive system that enables every child to thrive.”
A spokesperson for Save Our Children’s Rights said: “The current legal framework set out in the Children and Families Act 2014 has been endorsed as robust and fit for purpose by two House of Commons Education Committee inquiries in 2019 and 2025.
“We are calling on the Government to ensure the Schools White Paper commits to protecting the existing SEND legal framework and delivers the funding needed for a sustainable, inclusive SEND system, regardless of a child’s category of need or the setting they attend.
“This is essential to support children and young people with SEND now and in the future.”
