A New Way of Handling Parents’ Complaints about School Issues

This response is made by the Independent Panel for Special Education Advice, a registered charity providing advice and support for parents of children with special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities. IPSEA was established in 1983 and currently assists over 3,000 parents and carers of children with SEN and disabilities every year, including over 25% of those appealing to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST). Our opinions are therefore based on evidence from an extensive sample of cases involving the education of children with SEN and/or disabilities throughout England and Wales.

IPSEA welcomes the Government’s intention to introduce improved arrangements for handling parents’ complaints about their children’s education, and we are grateful for this opportunity to comment on the detail of the proposed new arrangements.