For many families of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), the long school holidays can create significant challenges.

Children with additional needs rely heavily on routine, structure, specialist support and familiar environments. When the school year ends, that support and structure can suddenly disappear for weeks at a time.

For some children, this disruption can lead to increased anxiety, distress and regression in skills and routines that have taken months or even years to establish. It can also place enormous pressure on parents and carers, particularly families who have limited access to suitable specialist childcare, respite or activities during school closures.

We believe there needs to be a better option for these children and their families.

We are calling for properly funded pilot programmes to investigate year-round specialist school provision, with flexible attendance for children and rotational staffing so that staff retain their full annual leave.

WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR

We are calling on the Government and relevant education authorities to explore a model that would enable specialist SEN schools to provide access to appropriate support and provision throughout the year, including during the traditional school holidays.

This is not about expecting teachers or existing school staff to work 52 weeks a year, nor is it about removing children’s right to holidays and family time.

It is about making appropriate provision available to families who need and choose to use it.

OUR PROPOSAL

We propose exploring a 52-week SEN school provision model, where specialist school sites could remain available during school holiday periods through a properly funded and separately staffed programme.

This could operate on an optional basis, with families choosing whether and when their child attends during the holidays.

Holiday provision could be delivered by dedicated or rotating staff, rather than requiring existing teaching staff to give up their normal school holidays. The emphasis during these periods would not necessarily be on formal classroom teaching. Instead, provision could focus on maintaining routine and important life skills, communication, social interaction, physical activity, therapeutic support and enjoyable structured activities appropriate to each child’s individual needs.

A 52-week model could also make better use of specialist facilities that already exist within SEN schools and which may otherwise be unavailable to families for significant periods of the year.

We recognise that different children, schools and families have different needs. We are therefore not asking for a rigid, one-size-fits-all system.

We are asking for the Government to seriously consider, consult on and pilot a properly funded 52-week SEN provision model, working alongside families, schools, SEND professionals and local authorities to determine how it could be delivered safely, fairly and sustainably.

Our children deserve continuity of support, and families deserve a genuine choice.