A new campaign has been launched to persuade the government from diminishing the legal rights of children with SEND, amid concerns the white paper will water down EHCPs and other support.
A group of all-party politicians and campaigners, backed by actor Sally Phillips (pictured), has launched Save Our Children’s Rights amid concerns the government will remove children’s legal right to the most appropriate support in school.
The coalition, which includes Special Needs Jungle and Ipsea, has launched a video addressing the prime minister directly, as well as delivering a 130,00-signature petition called for the retention of existing support.
The video shows Phillips, whose son Olly has Down’s syndrome, with other parents, carers, and children and young people with special needs, telling Keir Starmer that the current system is in crisis.
Weakening the SEND legal framework risks undoing decades of hard-won progress toward inclusive and equitable education
The video reacts to speculation that the government’s plans include removing EHCPs from all but the children with the most complex needs.
“Without legal rights, there is no guarantee children like us can access education at all … This is not reform – it is injustice,” the video states. “Prime Minister, please I am begging you, save our rights.”
Under one of the proposed changes, schools would have more control to decide who needs the most support, and there would be less involvement of local authorities.
Madeleine Cassidy, the chief executive of Ipsea, said: “Children and young people with SEND need a system that works for them, underpinned by strong, enforceable legal rights.
“These rights are not optional, they are essential protections that ensure families can secure the support their children need to access education and thrive.
“Weakening the SEND legal framework would strip families of these protections, leaving many parents without recourse and risking undoing decades of hard-won progress toward inclusive and equitable education.”
The Department for Education is currently canvassing views from parents and schools through online and regional meetings.
A spokeman for the department said: “We have launched the biggest national conversation on SEND in a generation, with plans being directly shaped by parents, the sector and experts who know the system best.
“That engagement will drive reforms that protect what families value and fix what isn’t working.”
