Burnley and Ribble Valley children missing school due to a lack of SEND support

Clitheroe mum Rachel Wilson believes her daughter, Millie, missed out on support for special educational needs and disabilities because she does not fit the stereotype of being "disruptive" in class.

Pupils like Millie, she believes, "don't get seen, don't get support. They get left behind - but they deserve to be recognised."

The mum claims that "everything went downhill" in Year 8 because Millie's school failed to follow her education, health and care plan and employed a teacher without the right qualifications to lead the SEND unit.

Her complaints to the school were "brushed under the carpet", and "nothing changed" after she contacted Lancashire County Council. With her daughter's mental health plummeting, she decided to pull her out.

The council remained responsible for providing Millie's education while she was out of school. However, Rachel says the authority failed to do so. After her child had been without an education for a year, the mum escalated her complaint to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

The council then advised her to view SEND schools, but they couldn't meet her daughter's academic needs, Rachel explains. So she devised a plan known as "education other than at school". It means the local authority must pay for SEND provision to take place outside of a school if this setting is inappropriate for the child.

LCC took 10 months to accept the plan, according to Rachel, leaving her to pay nearly £6,000 for a specialist teacher and weekly animal therapy sessions. The council eventually set a £30,000 budget for the family. However, Rachel says she has still not received the funding and faces a long wait for a tribunal.

She also worries about how Millie will cope when she goes to college after being isolated from her peers, and would like to see new schools created for pupils who struggle in both mainstream settings and among children with more complex needs.

Alternatively, she believes authorities should make the process of obtaining council support and funding to educate such children outside of school quicker and easier to navigate.

Jane Gent, of Burnley, has a similar story. Her daughter, Bella, felt too anxious and overstimulated in a busy mainstream high school, so unable to attend, she remained at home for around 12 months.

Jane says her case worker did not arrange an EHCP in the 20-week legal timeframe, which meant she had to fund Bella's tuition herself.

County Coun. Matthew Salter, LCC's cabinet member for Education and Skills, said: "We are committed to making sure every child in Lancashire receives the education and support they need.

"We know services for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities have not been good enough, and we have introduced a range of improvements, with more being implemented throughout the year to support children to access the best education possible.

"If a child's Education, Health, and Care Plan does not accurately reflect their current needs, we would encourage parents and guardians to request an annual review.

"We are committed to working collaboratively with families to ensure that EHCPs are up-to-date and that they provide a clear and accurate picture of the child's needs and the support required."