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Introducing... Send in the Spotlight

Real stories, bold ideas: Reimagining support for special educational needs

The special educational needs system is widely considered to be broken. Put simply, demand is outstripping supply, and too many children are being left without the support they need or having to go to school far away from home.

As the government embarks on an overhaul of the SEND system in England, in this podcast from BBC Woman’s Hour, Nuala McGovern asks: How can every child learn and thrive?

Nuala will examine the facts about what’s already being offered, what’s wanted and what’s affordable. She’ll hear personal stories from families and supporters and seek accountability from the people and organisations with the power to fix the system.

Featuring high-profile parents, including actors Anna Maxwell Martin and Kellie Bright, SEND in the Spotlight aims to reimagine the future of SEND.

Share your story with us: [email protected]

SEND in the Spotlight is a Woman’s Hour podcast. Episodes are published on Mondays on BBC Sounds.

Note: In Scotland the system is called ASN, Additional Support Needs; In Wales it's ALN, Additional Learning Needs; In Northern Ireland it is known as the SEN register, that is the Special Educational Needs Register.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern
Produced by Sarah Crawley, with Carolyn Atkinson
Executive Editor: Karen Dalziel

Available now

4 minutes

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Transcript

Nuala: Every child has a fundamental right to an education. So why are some not getting one?

Katie: I haven't been to school since I was thirteen, I'm autistic. Fighting every step is so hard.

Kirsti: Unless you've experienced it you can't quite compute how you can go from a child that's sort of struggling in school to a child that can no longer attend.

Samantha: Despite getting the school placement, it has cost his mental health, my mental health and five thousand pounds in solicitor's fees and private reports.

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Nuala: I'm Nuala McGovern and this is 'SEND in the Spotlight', a new podcast from the BBC which aims to unpack why the special educational needs system is so widely considered to be broken, and how it might be fixed.

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Nuala: Over the last decade, the number of children and young people identified with special educational needs and disabilities - or SEND - has risen significantly. And now many believe the system that's supposed to help is overwhelmed and under-funded – that's despite increasing costs to the government. 

Nuala: To put it simply, demand is outstripping supply and too many children are being left without the support they need, or having to go to a school far from home. That's something the Education Secretary herself acknowledges...

Bridget Phillipson: Parents know it's not working, campaigners know it's not working, I know it's not working. That does mean we have to take a step back and consider how a better approach could work.

Nuala: So what does the future look like for SEND?

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Nuala: We have this great space to talk, really delving into how life is right now for young people with special educational needs, and for their parents. We'll also hear from their teachers, their specialist helpers, and the people who have to decide how to spend these precious funds. 

Nuala: I want to use this space to reimagine the SEND system, exploring the knottiest, trickiest elements. Joining me, parents who know all about it, some of whom have high-profile day jobs...like actor Kellie Bright - hello!

Kellie: Hello!

Nuala: What are you looking to get out of this podcast?

Kellie: Well I think one of the great things we've got at our disposal actually is to learn from each other. If we can look at what's working and sort of spread that out across all the schools.

Nuala: But you think what has been called a broken system can be fixed?

Kellie: Listen I'm an optimist, I'm a glass half full girl, I believe anything can be fixed, but I do think it's gonna take something huge to make the shifts.

Nuala: Well Kellie, you know your fellow actor Anna Maxwell Martin also has some thoughts...

Anna: I'd just love this to be an open place where we listen to what it's really really really like for children and teachers and parents and carers. There were times certainly for me where I felt like the only one with my child. 

Anna: You're not alone, so many people are strugggling within the systems we have. I want everybody - and one day government - to do everything they can to make sure that our children can thrive. 

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Nuala: Listen to SEND In The Spotlight on BBC Sounds, and why not subscribe, right now, so that new episodes come straight to you. Looking forward to you joining us.

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