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Each week, roughly 45 new applications arrive on the desk of Steph Smith, head teacher at the Cavendish School in Impington, near Cambridge. Unfortunately, the majority of these hopeful families face disappointment as the school, initially intended to accommodate 80 pupils, now has 129 students enrolled. The school caters to autistic children who may struggle in mainstream education but for whom a conventional special school setting might not be appropriate. Since opening in September 2021, Smith has overseen costly building adaptations to meet growing demand. However, she worries that the increasing number of students creates a bustling environment that can negatively impact those already attending the school, given their sensitivity to noise and crowded spaces.
Serving pupils aged between seven and 18, The Cavendish School draws students from seven local authority areas, including Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, and Essex. It has received an outstanding rating from Ofsted, which noted that “pupils flourish at this school.” The demand is so high that families have relocated from as far as Wales just to secure a place for their child. Smith emphasizes that this demand highlights a broader issue: these specialized schools are essential and cannot be replaced simply by improving mainstream schools. She points to her school’s recent GCSE results, which prove that these children “don’t deserve the mainstream system to have written them off.”
Steph Smith, who identifies as neurodivergent, explains how her perspective challenges conventional school policies. For instance, she questions trivial rules such as uniform restrictions on sock color, asking, “Why? There’s not many life reasons or employment reasons why you need to wear black socks.” By creating a safe and accepting environment, Smith believes students are better able to learn because they feel comfortable being themselves. One pupil, 14-year-old Ali, who was previously non-verbal and communicated via whiteboard and tablet, has gained confidence and started speaking. Ali now dreams of a career in performing arts and finds coping strategies like walking breaks helpful as part of her school day.
Financially, special education places carry a significant cost for local authorities, with fees starting at £16,000 annually per pupil, although independent schools generally charge even more. The number of children requiring support is rising nationally; in 2024, 4.8% of pupils held an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), increasing to 5.3% by 2025, according to the Department for Education. Cambridgeshire County Council’s leader, Lucy Nethsingha, acknowledges the severe budget strain caused by funding these placements. A current statutory override means councils do not directly carry deficits in their SEND budgets until March 2028, yet Cambridgeshire’s £98m shortfall looms large. Nethsingha warns that if this financial responsibility is passed to councils, it would push many, including Cambridgeshire, into insolvency, or what is known as “section 114 territory.”
Families navigating the SEND system are under tremendous pressure. Abbie, a Cambridge mother, recounts the struggle of having her six-year-old son wait nine months for an educational psychologist assessment before being excluded from school. Though alternative provisions exist, her son remains out of a mainstream setting. Describing the daily battles to secure her child’s entitlement, she states: “It’s a struggle… Having to battle every day for what your child is entitled to is something people shouldn’t have to go through.” The government has recognized these systemic failures and has delayed a much-anticipated White Paper aimed at overhauling SEND provision for 1.7 million children. While policymakers work on reform, Smith warns that inadequate funding across children’s services, social care, health, and education will only increase future costs, as unmet needs in childhood translate into higher expenses for adult services. She evokes the words of Whitney Houston: “The children are our future,” emphasizing the importance of investing in their care today to ensure they thrive as adults.
A Department for Education spokesperson acknowledged the long-standing challenges in the SEND system, stating: “For too long, families have been failed by the SEND system – with parents across the country forced to fight for every scrap of support and rising demand meaning children’s needs are spiralling to crisis point. Our changes will make sure children get support at the earliest stage, while bringing about financial sustainability for councils.”
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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