September marks the start of a new school year unlike any other. After a period where many children have spent months learning from home with the use of technology and support from their parents, schools have reopened full-time for all year groups.
Schools don’t only provide children with education through reading, writing, and maths – they also learn social and emotional skills, get exercise, and have access to mental health support and other services that just can’t be provided through online learning. Getting children back in school safely is really important, to ensure they’re getting both the educational and social development they need.
Going back to school is always a big deal for both parents and children, but this year brings a whole new set of unique challenges with it. If your child has special educational needs (SEN), these challenges are magnified further and it surprises many people to find out that these pupils make up around 15% of all kids in mainstream education.
How is safety going to be managed? If your child has an education, health and care (EHC) plan, how will that be handled? If you’re a parent, you’ll undoubtedly have many questions and concerns - whether your child is returning to the same school or going to a new one and we understand that it’s likely to be a difficult time.
We’re here to help, offering expert advice and guidance through our specially created resources designed with you in mind.
Our SEN Podcast
As schools have reopened, parents of children with SEN needs have unanswered questions. This podcast considers the issues that cause these families uncertainty as they deal with the “new normal” caused by the virus.
Our host Yogi Amin is joined by fellow public law solicitor Caroline Barrett, Louise Gillard from disability charity Scope, and Jo van Berckel. Jo is the mother of Kit, an incredible young man with cerebral palsy who is one of the stars of our I Am Able campaign.
One of the topics discussed are EHC plans – a support plan that identifies educational, health and social needs for children and young people aged up to 25 who need support beyond what’s available through SEN schools.
There’s concern that children with EHC plans may not be able to have their needs met because of complications with the virus. Caroline said “Where that happens, the parents shouldn’t be fined, and in fact the children should be getting extra support at home.”
The group then go on to discuss the importance of teaching assistants, why social distancing could create a whole host of new challenges, and how children with disabilities have dealt with home schooling during lockdown.
You can listen to the podcast now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Podbean.
Our Facebook Group
We recently launched our first Facebook group, The Parent Carer Forum by Irwin Mitchell which is a place for parents and carers to share issues that matter to them. We’re aiming to build an online community that supports each other, with members of our Public Law and Personal Injury team on hand to support people in the group with their questions.
With nearly 400 members already, the group has got off to a flying start as members begin to share stories and seek support and guidance. With children going back to school, we asked some of the parents in the group how they'd found their first week back, and here’s what they had to say:
Maddy:
“My son saying "I’ve had a good day today"! He has not done a full day for 18 months and was out of school completely for last year. I had to give up work and appealed all stages or EHCP. Last week he did four full days which makes all the pain and battling worth it.”
Tina:
“The happiest moment for our family was the knowledge that we didn’t have to make that decision as we have continued home educating for our third year. We’re glad that we made the decision to remove him from the special school system years ago.”
Sarah:
"My youngest is loving her timetable routine and actually motivating her to work again. Half in school and half via Microsoft Teams. The difference has been in having structure. Before her A-levels, essays were just bombarded to her via email with no human interaction. It has taken a pandemic to change the way she is taught and suddenly Teams are safe and not a safeguarding issue!”
In addition to all the great discussion and debate there's a special drawing competition on the page, where children can draw their perfect day. If you want to find out more, join the group today.
Special Educational Needs FAQs
Our FAQ hub for all things relating to SEN, covers everything from government guidance updates for reopening to information on EHC plans. This page is regularly kept updated, giving you peace of mind that even if the guidance changes again, you’ll have access to up-to-date support and advice.
You can find the current guidance published by the government about the measures schools need to put in place to protect children and reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading; with specific guidance about measures for special schools.
Visit our FAQ page here.
For general enquiries
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