Parents of Send children without EHCPs ‘least satisfied’ with schools, survey finds

Parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities are feeling cut adrift in mainstream schools if they do not have legal protection in place, according to the largest representative survey of its kind in England.

The findings suggest that families whose children have Send but no education, health and care plan are currently the least satisfied group in the education system, raising fresh questions about how upcoming reforms will affect support on the ground.

Parents without EHCPs report lowest satisfaction

The Parent Voice Project’s new report, How Schools Work for Every Child, surveyed more than 6,000 parents across England and included focus groups.

It found that just 57% of parents of a child with Send but no EHCP rated the quality of education at their child’s school as high or very high. This compares with 68% of parents of children with Send and an EHCP, and 71% of parents of children without Send.

When asked whether teachers in mainstream schools have the right tools to support children with additional needs, only 52% of all parents agreed. Among parents of children with Send but no EHCP, that figure fell to just 38%.

For many families, the difference appears to be the legal backing that an EHCP provides, which sets out a child’s needs and the support a local authority must deliver.

Why this matters for families

Last month, education secretary Bridget Phillipson announced long-awaited Send reform proposals. The plans are expected to result in hundreds of thousands fewer pupils receiving EHCPs by 2035.

The Parent Voice Project report found broad support for including more children with Send in mainstream schools, a key part of the government’s direction of travel. However, parents were clear that inclusion must be backed by proper resources and visible support.

Half of all parents surveyed said it was important for children with Send to be educated in mainstream schools. But confidence in whether schools are equipped to do this well remains mixed.

Fiona Forbes, founder of the Parent Voice Project, said: “If reform can deliver earlier and more visible support in mainstream schools, many parents will welcome it. But the shift away from escalation will only work if families experience consistency and follow-through in practice.”

Her comments reflect a concern many parents will recognise, that promises on paper do not always translate into day-to-day help in the classroom.

‘It’s a battle the whole time’

The survey also included focus groups with parents, offering a window into how this feels in real life.

One mother from Weston-super-Mare said there was “no thought” given to children with additional needs ahead of a crisis.

“It feels like you’re constantly saying this isn’t right, this isn’t right, rather than someone sitting down and planning it … It’s a battle the whole time,” she said.

For families navigating school meetings, assessments and long waiting lists, that sense of firefighting rather than forward planning may sound all too familiar.

Attendance not top concern for most parents

The research also explored parents’ views on school attendance, an area of strong government focus. Currently, 18% of pupils are classed as persistently absent, nearly double the pre-pandemic rate. Ministers have set a target of 94% attendance, alongside strengthened Send support and more attendance advisers.

However, attendance did not rank highly among parents’ main worries. Only 8% said poor attendance rates were one of the top challenges facing children.

Instead, parents were more likely to point to:

• Underfunding of schools
• Poor behaviour
• Mobile phone and social media use
• Mental ill health among young people

Views also varied significantly by region when parents were asked whether children should be forced to attend school. Nearly 60% of parents in the north-east of England said they believed they should be able to take their children out of school whenever they want, compared with 37% in London.

One father from Oldham told a focus group that schools should apply a “common sense” approach.

“If you’ve got a kid who turns up every week, Monday to Friday, they’re on time, they’re always there, then if the parents want to take them for a two-week holiday once a year, they should go for it,” he said.

Building trust between schools and families

Steve Mills, a headteacher and adviser to the report, said improving attendance starts with strengthening relationships.

“We need to make sure that, for children and parents, every day in school is a day they don’t want to miss, rather than a day they are not allowed to miss,” he said.

“We want pupils running through the gates because school is exciting. I think that is possible. That’s what happens in the best schools, and parents want to see that everywhere.”

For mums juggling work, childcare and the emotional labour of advocating for a child with additional needs, the message from this survey is clear. Inclusion is widely supported in principle, but without consistent support and properly equipped teachers, many families fear their children will continue to fall through the cracks.