Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to enable parents who need to withdraw their child from school when SEND support is insufficient to do so.

Parents have a right to educate a child of compulsory school age otherwise than at school, provided that the education is suitable. Home education can be demanding and so should only ever be an informed and positive choice. If their child is in a mainstream school, parents can withdraw their child by notifying the school that they wish to home educate. If their child is in a special school under arrangements made by a local authority, then the parent must first seek local authority consent. This additional check is not intended to keep children in a setting that does not meet their needs, but rather to ensure that there are no educational suitability issues resulting from the loss of the support at the school.

If parents have concerns that their child’s special educational needs (SEN) are not being met in school, then they should discuss these concerns with the school. If their child has an education, health and care plan, then they should also talk to their local authority. In either case, the package of support may need to be reviewed.

The department is aware of the challenges in the special educational needs and disabilities SEND system, and the government has been clear that a more inclusive education system is needed to give children and young people the opportunities they need to achieve and thrive.