'Poorer SEND children at double disadvantage'

CHILDREN with special educational needs from low-income families are facing major inequalities in access to support according to new research published last week by the social mobility charity, the Sutton Trust.

- Charlotte Atkins - Leek Labour councillor and Staffordshire Moorlands District Council Cabinet Member for Services

A rally of SEND parents in London last month.

(Lucy North/PA)

They suffer a 'double disadvantage' because children from poorer families are more likely to have SEND but their parents are less likely to secure adequate support.

Despite only 26% of children qualifying for free school meals, they account for 44% of those with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and 39% of those receiving SEND support without an EHCP.

EHCPs are legal documents which set out the support required for children and young people with SEND and the responsibility of the school to deliver that additional help.

Parents will always do everything possible to help their child.

As a local councillor, I have helped many parents navigate the complex and bureaucratic SEND system to get the support their child needs.

But while my support came for free, two thirds of middle-class parents were able to spend money on an EHCP application, compared with just 28 per cent of working-class parents.