(UK) Somerset: "Children stuck in mainstream schools"; no special school places

April 22, 2025, The i Paper: Inside Somerset, where parents fear more SEND children will be forced out of school 

SW England

The number of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) being suspended in Somerset will rise as schools struggle to fund support, parents fear.

It comes as teachers across the country say the level of assistance for SEND pupils has decreased in the last five years, with some children stuck in mainstream schools because there are no spaces for them in specialist settings.

Ruth Hobbs, CEO of Somerset Parent Carer Forum, said many parents the organisation supports are worried about how further cuts will affect children’s services.

Somerset Council has approved staff cuts of £34m [$45M] as part of plans to save £47m [$62M] next year. Managerial roles and support staff positions are among those being axed, with the council acknowledging the changes will impact children’s services.

It has also increased council tax by 7.5 per cent, partly in response to rocketing demand for SEND services.

Ms Hobbs said: “People are still very concerned around what that’s actually going to look like in practice. . . .

Ms Hobbs said: “Somerset has a significant number of children that are excluded or not in an education setting for a variety of reasons, that then leads to financial difficulties for the family because obviously, you can’t work if your child is at home all the time.

“I think parents are worried we’re going to see an increase in the suspensions and an increase of schools not being able to meet needs.”

‘We went through hell’

Harriet Humber’s eldest son, who is autistic and has ADHD, was struggling at school before he was suspended numerous times and eventually excluded in April last year.

She believes this could have been avoided if he was given the right support earlier. . . .

 “We went through, I think hell would be a good way of putting it, with William when he was permanently excluded. It made such a huge impact on our lives. And even then, it was very difficult to get hold of people.”

The delays continued after his exclusion, and the family were forced to wait until June for him to receive just four hours a week with a tutor.

This followed a wait of around a year for an education, health and care plan (EHCP), and paying privately to have him assessed for autism and ADHD due to long NHS waiting lists, she said.

The permanent exclusion meant Ms Humber had to give up her accountancy business to care for William. She believes she would not have had to make such a drastic decision had he received help sooner.

She fears things are going to get worse as the council moves ahead with sweeping cuts, increased council tax and struggles to meet the rising demand for SEND provision.

“It’s going to make things very tight financially, and add more stress into the pot,” she told The i Paper.

Ms Humber is eligible for some council tax bill support, but she says she is often being charged substantial amounts with as little as seven days’ notice.

“Sometimes it’s a credit, then suddenly I owe £150,” she said.

William eventually received support from the council’s hard to place children team and is now in a suitable placement. However, the fight for help with his needs continues. . . .

Somerset had the third highest rate of exclusions for children with SEND (83) and the second highest rate of suspensions in England (1,658), the latest Government data shows.

Just 5 per cent of teachers say that the pupils with SEND they teach always receive the educational support to which they are legally entitled to, a survey by teaching union NASUWT found.

The survey, of 2,126 NASUWT members in England between February and March also suggests nearly three in four (73 per cent) respondents said pupils remain in their school despite having an EHCP which names a specialist school for them because that setting is full.

Ms Hobbs said she expects the waiting time for an EHCP, a legal document which outlines a child’s special needs, to continue to grow.

By law, local authorities should issue a final EHCP within 20 weeks from the date the needs assessment was requested.

Leader of Somerset council, Bill Revans, said the area had seen a 220 per cent increase in number of children who are getting EHCPs, creating a “significant demand”.

Mr Revans said: “What we’re trying to do is work with our schools for them to be more inclusive. So we’re funding 15 SEND units and primary schools to be able to cater for pupils’ needs in mainstream education, which is usually the best place for a child with SEND.”

There were 346,300 suspensions in the autumn term of 2023/24, an increase of 98,900 compared to the previous autumn term.

Permanent exclusions have also increased compared to previous autumn terms, totalling 4,200 up from 3,100. . . .

A spokesperson for the Local Government Association, which represents local authorities in England and Wales, said: “Councils continue to face significant challenges managing the rise in demand for support.

“Parents and children need and deserve is a properly reformed and funded SEND system that meets the care and support requirements of every child and young person with special needs.”

A Department for Education (DfE) spokesperson said: “The evidence is clear that the SEND system has been left on its knees – with too many children not having their needs met and parents forced to fight for support.

“It will take time, but as part of our Plan for Change, we are thinking differently about what the SEND system should look like, to spread opportunity, restore the confidence of families up and down the country and deliver the improvement they are crying out for.

“We are already making progress by investing £1bn into SEND and £740m to encourage councils to create more specialist places in mainstream schools, paving the way for significant, long-term reform.”