Breaking the Barriers: Why the SEND System Needs a Complete Overhaul

For SEND parents, the reality of a broken SEND system is all too familiar. Years of navigating a complex web of insufficient resources, bureaucratic obstacles, and constant advocacy battles have painted a clear picture of a system in crisis. Yet, in recent months, a shift in awareness seems to be occurring: the broader public, and, crucially, policymakers, are finally beginning to recognise the systemic issues SEND families have faced for years, even decades.

This shift in public awareness was recently underscored by BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, which dedicated an entire segment to a critical question: “Is the SEND system working for children with special educational needs and disabilities?” The response was an unequivocal “No,” echoing the frustrations of countless families across the UK.

The program highlighted funding shortfalls as a key factor contributing to the SEND crisis, a shortage that extends far beyond SEND-specific services and impacts every facet of the education system.

Overcrowded classrooms, understaffed support services, and underfunded programs collectively create an environment that struggles to meet the unique needs of SEND students.

The Role of Funding—and Its Limitations

Insufficient funding indeed lies at the heart of many issues within the SEND system. Financial constraints often mean that even the most basic services, like one-on-one classroom support for students with complex needs, are in short supply. Related services, such as Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy, which are essential for many SEND students, are similarly underfunded, forcing schools to make impossible choices about which students receive critical support.

But funding alone is not the full story. While money is crucial for providing adequate staffing, specialised resources, and tailored programs, many of the obstacles facing SEND students are rooted in low-cost or even no-cost adjustments that simply require a shift in perspective. This is where the conversation must turn toward a much-needed cultural transformation within schools and the wider education system.

The Need for Cultural Shifts: Beyond Financial Fixes

Many of the accommodations that could make a real difference for SEND students don’t require significant funding. Instead, they demand a willingness to adapt school policies and practices to better suit neurodiverse learners. For instance, allowing flexible uniform policies for students with sensory sensitivities would alleviate daily discomfort for those who find certain materials overwhelming. Similarly, adjusting behavior management practices to consider the unique challenges faced by students with conditions like ADHD can prevent unnecessary punishments and foster a more inclusive learning environment. For students with Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA), acknowledging mental health as a legitimate reason for authorised absences would shift the focus from punishment to support.

These adjustments, while cost-effective, require a fundamental change in how SEND students are perceived. Schools must move beyond rigid “one-size-fits-all” approaches, which often alienate SEND students, and instead embrace practices that recognise individual needs as part of the learning landscape. But the issue goes deeper still, beyond school policy, to the very core of our education system and what we expect it to achieve.

Rethinking Education’s Purpose for a Modern World

Our current education system was largely designed during an era when the primary goal was to prepare children for industrialised labour.

Compulsory schooling, introduced in 1880, has undergone few major philosophical updates since then, despite the dramatic social, technological, and cultural changes in our world. In 1918, the school leaving age was raised to 14, and in 1944 it was raised to 16. But even today, the system remains steeped in a model that emphasises uniformity, standardised testing, and strict behaviour policies, approaches that are at odds with the needs of SEND students and, arguably, many non-SEND students as well.

Modern learning requires a more nuanced approach that acknowledges neurodiversity and the vast array of learning styles present in any classroom. For some students, traditional school settings, particularly mainstream ones, may never provide the right environment for learning. The rigid curriculum, focus on exam results, and micro-management of behaviour create numerous push factors that can make school an unbearable environment for students who are already vulnerable.

Rethinking education in the 21st century means recognising that learning can and should take many forms.

For instance, expanding access to flexible and alternative learning environments, such as home-based or community-centred learning programs, would allow students who struggle in traditional settings to find more supportive, customised pathways.

Moreover, an education system that genuinely values diverse learning outcomes, not just exam results, would better serve all students, especially those with SEND.

A Holistic Approach: The Need for Systemic Integration

To create an education system that meets the needs of all students, including those with SEND, we need to move away from isolated “fixes” that treat the SEND system as a siloed component of the broader educational landscape. Instead, a holistic approach that integrates education with health, social care, and family support systems is essential.

SEND families often face multiple, interconnected challenges that impact their children’s educational experiences, from healthcare needs to social service support. Addressing these needs in isolation only perpetuates a cycle of frustration and ineffectiveness.

In practice, this might mean creating multi-disciplinary support teams that follow a child’s educational journey, helping coordinate resources and support across sectors. It could also involve breaking down bureaucratic barriers that make it difficult for schools to access external services, such as mental health support or family assistance, when they’re needed most.

Listening to Families: Turning Understanding into Action

For SEND parents and caregivers, the daily battle to advocate for their children’s rights has gone on far too long. Despite growing awareness, families continue to encounter an educational system that is quick to point fingers at children, young people, and their parents for perceived “failings.” It’s time for schools, local authorities, and policymakers to stop shifting blame and start listening to what families are saying about why the current system doesn’t work for their children.

Listening, however, is only the beginning. Action must follow. The frustrations expressed by SEND families aren’t simply complaints, they are insights into the ways our system fails to support neurodiverse students, insights that policymakers must take seriously.

A commitment to transforming these insights into meaningful policy changes is the only way forward.

Building an Inclusive Future for All Students

An education system that truly works for all students cannot rely on minor tweaks to existing structures. Instead, it requires a complete reimagining of what we want education to accomplish in today’s world.

Preparing students for standardised exams may have value, but it is only one of many ways to gauge learning and personal growth.

A more inclusive, supportive system would place equal value on social skills, emotional resilience, creativity, and other competencies that are crucial for navigating modern life.

As SEND families continue to push for reform, the hope remains that, eventually, these calls for change will result in an education system designed for all learners a system that understands and celebrates diversity, rather than seeking to minimize or control it.

Ultimately, understanding why and how the SEND system is broken is crucial, but the true goal must be to transform it.

We owe it to all children to build an education system that embraces and supports every learner, setting them up for a future in which they can thrive.

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