- The Sutton Trust charity has warned that disadvantaged children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) face a “double disadvantage” due to an inconsistent and bureaucratic support system.
- A new poll indicates that children from lower-income backgrounds are more likely to have SEND but less likely to secure an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) compared to their more affluent peers.
- Middle-class parents are significantly more likely to spend money on EHCP applications and successfully use the tribunal system, leading to a “two-tier system” for accessing support.
- This disparity results in worse academic outcomes for disadvantaged SEND pupils, with only 7.5 per cent of those receiving free school meals achieving a grade 4 or higher in GCSE English and math, compared to 17 per cent of better-off families.
- Charities and education unions are calling for urgent reform, simplification of the support process, and increased funding, as the government prepares to publish a White Paper on SEND system changes.
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