On a bright September morning in Parliament Square, the air buzzed with the sound of determined voices and the flutter of homemade signs. Parents from all corners of the United Kingdom had gathered, united by a single, pressing concern: the future of support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). With the iconic silhouette of Big Ben looming behind them, their message was clear—do not scrap the education, health and care plans (EHCPs) that so many families depend on.
The rally, held on September 15, 2025, was not just a show of solidarity but a call to action. According to BBC, dozens of parents stood shoulder to shoulder, holding signs that read, “My child isn’t broken—the system is.” For many, the protest was sparked by mounting fears that the government’s upcoming reforms could restrict or even abolish EHCPs, leaving vulnerable children without the tailored support they need to thrive in school.
Among the protesters was Emma Briggs, co-founder of the Northants group SEND Mummas. She spoke passionately about the “catastrophic” impact that losing an EHCP would have on her son and countless others. “His care plan is so important because his learning is tailored to him. Rather than going into a class and doing what everyone else is doing, it’s broken down. Some children just don’t learn that way—they process things differently and the EHCP is meant to help them do well. If they didn’t have that and they were expected to learn in the same way as neurotypical children it would be so difficult. If the EHCP wasn’t there, we don’t even know what the alternative would be,” Briggs told Northamptonshire Telegraph.
EHCPs, introduced a decade ago, are legal documents that outline the specific support a child or young person with complex needs is entitled to receive. As of June 2025, Department for Education (DfE) statistics show that 638,745 children in England have EHCPs—the highest number since the plans were established. Yet, nearly 1.3 million pupils are receiving some form of SEND support in schools without an EHCP, highlighting the broad scale of need and the unique legal protections that these plans provide.
The anxiety among parents was further fueled by a recent debate in Westminster Hall, where the government was pressed to commit to maintaining current levels of mandatory support for children with SEND. The debate was prompted by a petition signed by more than 125,000 people, demanding that ministers uphold their statutory responsibilities to assess and support children with additional needs.
But the parents’ voices were not the only ones to echo through the halls of Westminster this week. On September 17, 2025, Members of Parliament released a new Education Select Committee report, making it abundantly clear: individual care plans for children with special educational needs should not be scrapped. The committee’s recommendations went further, calling for the establishment of statutory national minimum standards for SEND support, increased training for all school staff, more investment in specialist schools, and a rise in per-pupil SEND funding in line with inflation.
Helen Hayes MP, chair of the Education Select Committee, didn’t mince words when she described the current state of affairs. “A root and branch reform of the SEND system is needed,” she said. “The government must develop a standardised, national framework for the support that children with SEND can expect in school, long before requiring an EHCP, so that there can be confidence and clear lines of accountability.”
For parents like Tracy Winchester, who runs the SEND National Crisis campaign group in Worcestershire, the stakes are deeply personal. Tracy has fought three separate tribunals to secure the right support for her son Rowan, who has had an EHCP since age five. She told BBC, “We won’t stand for our legal rights being taken away, and the thought of it is horrifying. It’s not to say everything is perfect right now, but without the legal rights I don’t know where we would have got to. Local authorities have to be careful with their budgets but, ultimately, this is our kids’ education. If we haven’t got that legal protection, where do we stand?”
The government’s position on the matter has been closely watched. A DfE spokesperson responded to the committee’s report by emphasizing ongoing efforts: “The report rightly highlights the need for actions we’re already taking, to make sure that evidence-based support is available as routine, without a fight, for every child who needs it—from significant investment in places for children with SEND, to improved teacher training, to our Best Start Family Hubs in every local area.”
Yet, the National Audit Office has raised red flags about the financial sustainability of the SEND system. Despite substantial increases in high-needs funding over the past decade, the system “wasn’t financially sustainable” and, crucially, was not delivering better outcomes for children and young people. This tension—between the rising number of EHCPs, the growing demand for support, and the realities of local authority budgets—sits at the heart of the current debate.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the school leaders’ union NAHT, underlined the need for a collaborative, multi-agency approach. “There must be a recognition that funding for SEND is currently insufficient and a re-thought system will need to be fully resourced in order to work,” he said. He also stressed that the responsibility for supporting children with special needs should not fall solely on schools, but must be shared with health and child services.
At the grassroots level, campaigns like ‘Fight for Ordinary’ have gained momentum. The campaign seeks to ensure that children with special educational needs are granted the same ordinary opportunities as their peers—such as a school place and accountability within the system—without what many parents describe as an “unnecessary fight.” For many, the campaign is about more than just policy; it is about dignity, equity, and the right to an education that meets every child’s needs.
Emma Briggs described the rally as “inspiring,” noting the power of meeting parents from across the country who share the same hopes and frustrations. “We all want to raise awareness around the issue and make sure our voices are heard,” she said, echoing the sentiments of many who feel that change is both necessary and overdue.
The government is expected to outline its education plans in a schools white paper to be published later this autumn. Newly appointed Minister of State at the Department for Education, Georgia Gould, closed the recent parliamentary debate by affirming her commitment to parents and children: she pledged to “set out reforms that really transform young people’s lives.”
As the autumn approaches and the government prepares its next steps, families and educators alike are watching closely. The future of SEND provision hangs in the balance, with thousands of children—and their parents—waiting to see whether their fight for ordinary will finally be met with extraordinary action.
