Practical guidance for families.

If you're a parent or carer of a child with SEND in England, you've probably spent much of 2026 reading headlines about "the biggest shake-up in a decade" and wondering what it means for your child. With a new school year underway, new services launching, and consultations just closed, now is a good moment to take stock.

The short version: a lot is being planned, some things are starting to happen locally, but your child's legal rights today are the same as they were a year ago.

f your child started the school year surprisingly well, only to fall apart somewhere around week three or four, you're not imagining it, and you're definitely not alone. Many parents and carers of children with special educational needs and disabilities notice the same pattern every autumn. The first few weeks go better than feared. Then, just as everyone starts to relax, the wheels come off.

New school shoes, a new timetable and, if you're the parent of a child with special educational needs, a familiar mix of hope and worry. Will this be the year things click into place? Will the support actually happen this time?

If you're preparing to challenge the school or setting named in your child's Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan, there's an important change to the way the SEND Tribunal handles these appeals that you should know about before you lodge.

What the New School Exclusion Rules Mean for Your Child

A plain-English guide for parents - July 2026

If you’ve been told by your local authority (LA) that an independent special school simply “isn’t available” or is “too expensive,” you are not alone. This is one of the most common battles SEND families face and one of the most misunderstood areas of the law. The reality is more nuanced, and in some cases, an independent placement can absolutely be secured and funded by your LA. Here’s what you need to know.

There is a programme operating across England that most SEND families have never heard of. It is shaping decisions about their children’s support. They deserve to know it exists.

And why chasing one before applying for an EHCP may be costing your child months of support they’re already entitled to.

You fought hard to get your child into the right school. You researched, you visited, you probably cried in a few car parks along the way...and now they are there, in a setting that finally understands them, with staff who get it. So why does it still feel like you are constantly battling the system?

Most parents have never been taught how to communicate with a local authority. Here's what actually works.

When you're navigating the SEND system, it can feel like everyone else knows something you don't. The truth is they often do. Local authorities, schools, and NHS services don't always volunteer information that could help your child get the support they need.

This guide brings together some of the most useful, least-publicised rights and tips I share with families I support. Keep it, share it, and use it.

A little while ago, we supported a family who had been fighting for a long time to get their child into the right school. Not just any school, the right one. The one that understood their child, had the provision they needed, and where they could genuinely thrive. The system had said no ....and more than once.