We’ve recently heard of cases where local authorities are removing or reducing top up funding for EHC plans, leaving parents and carers (and the schools their children go to) worried that it won’t be possible to deliver the provision in the plans Read more
It is important that parents, carers and young people are aware that there is no particular form, format or method that is required in order to make a valid EHC needs assessment request in law Read more
How IPSEA has made a difference for children and young people with SEND over 40 years - learn about our history, our impact, and our vision for the future in our new report Read more
We explain what power a school has to issue a penalty such as a detention, what it needs to consider first and what action you can take. Read more
Despite repeated denials, it has emerged that the Department for Education has a target to reduce by 20% the number of children and young people who are given an EHC plan Read more
Advice for parents and carers of pupils and students with SEND Read more
If you missed our recent children out of school webinar, you can catch up on the recording here – and to help, we’ve also rounded up the top questions asked during the session in this article Read more
Local authority agreements to contain spending risk children and young people with SEND being denied the special educational provision and support to which they are legally entitled Read more
Although the green paper appeared to be laying the groundwork for a significant overhaul of the current SEND legal framework, actually nothing much is planned to change (or improve) the system now or even this year Read more
The Department for Education has published a SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan, as the latest stage of the Government’s SEND Review. The main thing to note is that it contains no plans to change the law on support for children and young people with SEND. Read more
New figures from the Ministry of Justice show clearly the extent to which local authorities routinely and unlawfully deny children and young people with SEND the special educational provision and support they need Read more
We’ve recently heard of cases where local authorities have issued unclear or vague EHC plans - this is our guidance on what you should do if your child's plan is not clear or specific Read more
Banding is a way for LAs to allocate levels of top-up funding for securing special educational provision for children and young people with EHC plans - here we explain why banding should never be a barrier to providing the special educational provision required Read more
More than 30 lawyers are calling on the Government to abandon proposals for reforming the system in England for supporting children and young people with SEND Read more
It has been seven months since the SEND green paper was published setting out proposals for reform, and three months since the public consultation on these proposals ended - so, what’s next? Read more
Inspections of local SEND services should look at whether local areas are following the law – our response to consultation on future of area SEND inspections Read more
We believe the proposed reforms will, if implemented, have an overwhelmingly negative impact on children and young people with SEND - read our response to the consultation here Read more
'Education inside penal detention for children in England: An overview', published 'by the Howard League for Penal Reform and IPSEA, reveals that more than two-thirds of children in custody have special educational needs Read more
We encourage you to tell the Department for Education what you think and what your experiences are Read more
Our Tribunal Support Service volunteer, Gillian, shared with us what inspired her to join IPSEA as a volunteer Read more
Today we're highlighting the fantastic work of the volunteers on our Tribunal Helpline - here's what our Tribunal Helpline volunteer, Helen, shared with us about her volunteering experience Read more
Leah provides legally-based information and next step advice to families of children and young people with SEND - here’s what she told us about her volunteering experience Read more
Our legal and policy teams have spent the past few weeks analysing, in great detail, the content of the SEND Review Read more
Treating all children fairly does not mean treating them all the same - this is our message to the Government on school behaviour policies Read more
We've responded to each stage of the review emphasising that social care is not just for children who are considered to be “at risk” - it’s also essential for children who are “in need” according to the law Read more