Children with complex Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) deserve safe, appropriate, and dignified education.

Too many families in England are being forced to fight through lengthy SEND Tribunals simply to secure suitable school placements for their children — even when written evidence confirms that proposed schools cannot meet those children’s needs.

In some cases, Local Authorities continue to name mainstream schools in Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) despite:

Written confirmation from schools stating they cannot meet the child’s needs

A lack of specialist support or trained staff

No provision for personal care requirements

No accessible after-school activities

Clear evidence of severe and complex disabilities

This forces parents into stressful, adversarial legal battles that delay appropriate education during crucial developmental years. It causes emotional harm to families and wastes public funding on avoidable tribunal proceedings.

Inclusion without appropriate support is not inclusion — it is neglect.

We call on the Government to:

Prevent Local Authorities from naming schools that have formally stated they cannot meet a child’s needs.

Increase ring-fenced funding for specialist SEND provision and autism-specific placements.

Expand specialist school capacity to meet rising demand.

Create funded, accessible after-school activities for children with complex disabilities.

Reform the SEND system to reduce the need for tribunal by ensuring earlier, evidence-based decision making.

Children with significant disabilities deserve education that is safe, suitable, and tailored — without their families being forced into legal conflict to obtain it.

It is time to reduce stress on families and build a system that works for future generations.