Beginning to agree “ working class “ are getting less send support.

[Passthebiscuit12]

the news articles have been talking about this a lot in the recent days. They have also been some terrible articles about well off parents getting support when not needed for exams etc.

I never really thought about it before however my DC is what they call an “ inbetweener” we applied for Sen schools in the area and they said no due to not fitting in their cohort ( academically behind but not enough and is able )

mainstreams said no as too complex. We were lucky that none is the mainstreams said yes and they couldn’t place in any of the local maintained Sen schools that Dc was placed in an independent Sen school that runs mainstream education. This school has higher than average fees due to it being classed as Sen. But academics are great with 100 percent English GCSEs 4-9.
its a unique school and we do love it but 100 percent of the children were LA funded ( doesn’t shock me ) but out of 19 in DC year only 2 are what you call “ working class “ including us. The other family was lucky to know how to manage tribunal but it was a fight to get their place. I wonder why there is not a higher average of working class children in the school considering no one is paying fees and the LA are. I would of imagined there would have been more of a mixture of backgrounds.

do you think it is harder for working / lower class to get the support for their Sen children from the LA ?

Have been like this for a long time now.

i don't think it's that middle.class children are getting support they don't need. I think it's that LEAs refuse to provide support wherever possible, often illegally, hoping the parents will just give up. It's more likely to be the middle class families who have the education and money to be able to take the LEA to court successfully, and force them to provide the support their children are entitled to.

A lot of of it is to do with the high cost of funding from the LA I think this is an issue for many, more academically able children whose need ,s can't be met in mainstream, LA,s are very reluctant to shell out ££££,s
So yes if you have more money to take if to Trubunel etc you are more likely to be successful securing a place for your child.

It’s hardly a surprise that people with high levels of education, confidence, and who are likely to work in jobs requiring negotiating complex situations and systems, are more likely to be successful in the tribunal process.

It’s a confidence, education and social capital thing, in part.

And it’s not just SEN stuff. I’m certain I’ve had better healthcare because (while WC), I’m confident, articulate, unintimidated by medics or medical vocabulary, and able to suggest treatment options and be heard.

When DS was bullied at his very socially mixed primary school, other children were being targeted too, but I was the one who had no problem escalating, getting the school board involved when I didn’t feel the Head was fully engaging with the school’s bullying policy, and ended up getting the bully a one-on-one staff member on him for the entire school day for the rest of his time at the school, and his mother banned from school premises, volunteering and all school events.

Whereas these things would never even occur to my meek, WC parents.

I imagine that the same things would be helpful in getting your child with SEN a proper placement.

LAs routinely refuse ehcps to virtually all applications.

middle class parents can afford the tribunals, solicitors, independent experts etc.

working class generally can’t.

i was teacher for 20 years and it was well known.

The biggest issue is having the confidence and knowledge to deal with the LA which middle class parents are more likely to have.

LAs though are more likely now to blatantly law break . For example if a Tribunal has ordered certain provision, the LA is still not providing it so parents have to begin the judicial review process. It is harder for all parents now.

Knowledge and education of the parent. If you don't know how to "fight the system" or have the time, capability and capacity to do so, the child slips through the cracks.

i know that I’ve argued my DD into supports and services purely because I have expert knowledge of her particular difficulties and am very able to negotiate and stand my ground. You shouldn’t need that for your child to get the right support, but the reality is if you don’t various professionals will run rings round you, and not so subtly blame your parenting for your child’s difficulties. It’s no surprise that middle class parents are more likely have the confidence, education and knowledge to do this, and so get their child’s needs met.

I tried to help a friend who was entitled to Legal Aid get it for her EHCP appeal and couldn't get any solicitors to take on the case. I helped her as she couldn't deal with the forms at all and local SENDIASS is awful. I did manage to get her a tribunal case worker through IPSEA.

The system is a mess and there's a lot of misinformation. From what I saw with my friend's situation, the LA was willfully misleading her, and basically taking advantage as they knew they could get away with it (unless she got support elsewhere).

I would say online support like through Facebook SEND groups are helping parents of all classes/backgrounds get informed

I am seeing this a lot more. Also LAs just finalising a completely awful EHCP, not even including all of their own expert advice and telling parents to appeal. I registered DS3s appeal in September and his hearing date is 1st December 2026! The LA are using the long waits to avoid delivering provision. Then they'll still avoid it after the decision and Plan is finalised

"The LA are using the long waits to avoid delivering provision. Then they'll still avoid it after the decision and Plan is finalised"

I've seen agreeing to provision in a consent order to avoid ( at the last minute) a Tribunal hearing and then finalising the EHCP without the agreed provision in it.

There is also the rude, aggressive, bullying and generally trying to wind parents up behaviour of LAs which after a while you become used to but is intimidating when you first encounter it.

No, it’s not harder for working class people. They have the same access to information they could use to fight for their child as everyone else. They might be lies inclined to fight, but they could if they wanted to.

It’s not new for the wheel that squeaks the loudest to get the most the best results.

YANBU, I believe middle class parents without any SS involvement who are able to articulate themselves well are taken more seriously by teachers and professionals. I've practically seen it in motion.

Seems pretty common sensical to assume that more educated parents are able to advocate better for their children.

I think you are right, although I think it is more complex than purely being down to class. A lot of the systems to apply for support for children with SEND are overly complex, and require a lot of additional time to be able to navigate in addition to working out what is actually needed in the first place. This disadvantages lots of people, including anyone who is time poor (without finances to outsource the administrative elements that can be outsourced), anyone who struggles with analysing and synthesising complex information (both comprehension and expression), many people for who English is not their first language, and also people who were brought up in a different country where the education system will be significantly different. And that's even if you know this support exists in the first place!

My husband and I joke that these systems are deliberately difficult to put people off applying for what they and their children are entitled to, or to put them off challenging decisions when they are not successful first time. It shouldn't be like this. Children who are entitled to this level of support and their families face enough challenges without the additional administrative burden that these systems place on them.

"No, it’s not harder for working class people. They have the same access to information they could use to fight for their child as everyone else. They might be lies inclined to fight, but they could if they wanted to."

Of course it's harder.

This. My son has had an EHCP from Yr 3, and he was on the autism pathway from reception. DH and I are teachers and could navigate the systems well. Last year, at his annual consultant appointment, I was being pushed to have him signed off from consultancy care. I refused and was able to articulate an argument why. I can imagine less confident parents would just agree - especially when the system does grind you down.

Many conditions run on families. It should be obvious that if a parent has SEND themselves, they will likely find supporting their child harder.

I won’t use the terms working class as it’s meaningless

inwould say it’s harder for someone who is poor to get the sen support

if making ends meet is taking all your time and energy you have way less energy to spend chasing support for your child

jobs that pay less are often more restrictive - a care worker won’t be able to take a couple of hours off at lunchtime to meet anyone to discuss the case , a higher paid professional often can

the information is available but it’s often complex to understand and not everyone has the skills to be able to untangle it - and there is a link between academic capability and pay / poverty

and if you have more money you can afford private diagnosis

Middle class parents are, on average, better equipped to advocate for their children's needs. And without that advocacy, kids sadly don't stand much chance of getting the support they need.

We voted for 14 years of Tory austerity. Public funding was cut to the bone. This is the result. Sadly many want more of the same by voting Reform.

The same applies in the job market. If there's an incentive, like more ability to work at home, built into the reasonable adjustments system, people in middle class laptop jobs will find adjustments they need. So obviously playing out in the workplace too. Try the same in a working class job and it is unlikely to work

I think it is harder for some to navigate the system. Not always based on class, though. And not always based on finances. Things like parental education level, EAL, parental SEN/disability, carer burnout, family breakdown… can also play a part. DC whose parents know how to navigate the system, can advocate for their DC and enforce their child’s rights get better support. It shouldn’t be like that and fails the most vulnerable. However, it isn’t the fault of the parents who do secure their DC support. Parents do get EHCPs if their DC don’t meet the legal threshold. Neither do parents get SEP in EHCPs that isn’t reasonably required. All parents should be supported to navigate the system rather than support removed from those DC whose parents, and let’s be honest, mostly mothers, have secured.

Does that make working class people thick, then??