Excluded from primary school aged five: Parents say the SEND system is ‘broken'

Social Affairs Correspondent Sarah Corker reports on a system that has failed many families across the UK

The mother of a five-year-old boy with special educational needs who has been permanently excluded from primary school has told ITV News a ‘broken’ system has failed her son.

Jo Ellis, from West Yorkshire, said that instead of giving her son Lucas the right support to cope in the classroom, he was seen as a "problem" and expelled because it was the "easy option".

Lucas is waiting for an assessment for ADHD and autism but a diagnosis, which can unlock extra funding and support in class, could be years away.

In February, an incident at school left him feeling distressed and he kicked a teacher.

"The head told me that the teachers are too scared to return to work while Lucas is there. I thought it was ridiculous, he’s a five-year-old, he’s literally kicked him on the shin because he’s been a scared, trapped child," Lucas’s mother Jo Ellis told ITV News.

He was left without any form of education for 12 weeks and Ms Ellis questioned the reasons behind the exclusion; "It’s like they just want to keep the grades up, they’re not bothered about the children. They just want the grades."

Lucas is now the youngest child at a pupil referral unit with teenagers and is getting just two hours a day of education.

His mother is desperate to get him back into full-time learning as evidence shows that disruption to learning so young can have life-long consequences.

Exclusions across England have hit a record high. Last year more than 9,000 children were permanently excluded, up 44% in a year. Expulsion rates continue to be higher for children with SEND, and for those excluded at primary school, 91% failed their English and maths GCSEs.

It comes as an exclusive poll for ITV National and Regions found more than half of children with Special Educational needs and disabilities have had to spend time out of school because their needs could not be met. At the same time, nearly a third of parents said they have had to use the legal system to fight for provision.

As budgets are squeezed, charities warn it is the most vulnerable students who suffer.

Tania Tirraoro, founder and co-director of Special Needs Jungle, told ITV News: "It’s just not good enough to throw away children because they can't sit still in school or because their needs are not being met. We have to support every child, every child matters."

'It's not just pitting parents against schools, its pitting parents against local authorities,' speaking to ITV News, Tania Tirraoro said no parent wants to see their child in tears because of a lack of support

Across Britain, places at specialist schools are oversubscribed, leaving parents in an impossible position. Getting the right help early in a pupil’s educational journey is crucial.

In West London, Freston Junction opened earlier this month and will provide specialist support for 12 children with autism and Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs with purposefully designed educational spaces.

For Mason, who is 14 and has autism, it is already making a world of difference.

"I can take breaks when it's a bit too much to want one, so it's really good. So like when I'm stuck on a question the teachers will like try and help me, but like wait for me to try and understand it. So like I'm learning new things as well," Mason said.

More children are coming to school with complex needs but resources and funding aren’t keeping pace. Tom Rees, chief executive of Ormiston Academies Trust, which runs Freston and over 40 other schools, told ITV News that urgent reform of the SEND system is needed.

"My message for the government would be that special educational needs policy in schools is the single most important policy area to focus on in the next ten years. That it will take ten years to do it really well and it will require a big effort from the system in terms of policy, politics and the school system working together to deliver," Tom Rees said.

Speaking to ITV News, Tom Rees said that SEND reform will take the next ten years to change in a way that delivers for students

For other children, remaining in mainstream education with SEND support is the preferred option.

School leaders have warned they need much more money to pay for speech and language therapy, mental health support, behavioural psychologists and specialist training for staff as more pupils are coming to school with complex needs.

Mylo Delaney, who is nine and lives in North Yorkshire, is one of the half a million pupils with an Education Health and Care Plan, which sets out the extra support he needs at school.

It is a legally binding document which his mum Rachael said was not followed. The consequences were devastating.

"It was a battle and a challenge on a day-to-day basis. Teachers just didn't support him. There was no support there and in the last two years especially, and I feel that the school of really, really let Milo down. He was on an emotional rollercoaster," she said.

At eight years old when an incident in class escalated, he lashed out and was excluded.

"Because they might not be academically achieving, it appears that they have a problem. And for me, it felt like they just removed Mylo, because they saw him as a problem. He’s been failed by the system," she said.

Rachael and Mylo have now moved an hour away from family to get the right support at a mainstream school in North Yorkshire.

The school involved in the cases mentioned in this report told us it can not comment on individual circumstances, but a spokesperson told us; "we cannot accept any behaviour that puts the safety of other pupils and staff at risk. In these very rare circumstances, we take the difficult but necessary decision to exclude them. This is only done as a last resort to ensure the safety of our wider school community."

The new Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said SEND reform under Labour will focus on early intervention and ensure mainstream schools are more inclusive.

"Whether it’s transforming the early years to intervene earlier and deliver better outcomes for children, or launching our curriculum and assessment review to put high and rising standards and inclusion together at the heart of every school,” she told ITV News.

"We have a broken system in desperate need of long-term renewal. I won’t make false promises, change won’t feel as quick as parents – or I – would like. I will make sure our approach is fully planned and delivered in concert with parents, schools, councils, and everyone who works with children," she added.

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