Parents' shoe protest for better Send support

Organisers say each pair of shoes represents a child who has been "failed" by the Send system

Families have lined-up pairs of children's shoes outside council offices to symbolise pupils with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (Send) being "failed" by the system.

Parents gathered in Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire to take part in the peaceful protest as part of a nationwide campaign, Every Pair Tells a Story, organised by The Send Sanctuary UK.

Jennie Watts, one of the organisers in Wiltshire said every pair of shoes represented a child who had been "failed" or "parents that haven't been heard".

The government is publishing a Schools White paper with reforms to the Send system in early 2026.

'Really difficult'

Parents have come together to highlight their worries for the lack of support available for children with special educational needs.

Speaking outside Gloucestershire County Council's Shire Hall where dozens of pairs of shoes had been laid, independent Send advisor, Jo Roberts said families "have to wait years and years to get anything at all".

Cirencester mother, Daisy Giles said it had been "really difficult" to get support for her son Tommy who was waiting for a specialist setting but is currently at home.

Ms Giles said "I'm not a teacher, he needs people that understand and people that are trained".

She is concerned he "doesn't have any education at the moment".

Leader of Gloucestershire Council, Lisa Spivey said they have seen a "three-fold increase" in the number of children who had Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP) in the last five years.

She added, historically Gloucestershire has been "underfunded compared to other local authorities...but we absolutely want to make sure that our young people can really thrive".

A group of mothers and carers are campaigning for more support for Send families in Swindon

Similar gatherings happened outside council buildings in Taunton and Swindon.

Upwards of 30 people gathered outside Swindon Borough Council's offices, and attached tags to shoes, with messages of support and calls to action.

Jennie Watts, organiser of the event, said being a Send parent was "extremely isolating, it's great to be here and see we aren't alone."

Mother to two sons with additional needs, Danielle Brown Kelly said it is having an "impact on our mental health and our child's mental health".

Ms Brown Kelly now home educates her sons, she added "I have ADHD and I know a lot of us [parents] have additional needs, so we're kind of laying shoes for the child we were as well as our own children."

Councillor Adorabelle Amaral-Shaikh, Swindon Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Education said they were "committed" to improving things by "working closely with education, health and social care partners".

Councillor Amaral-Shaikhs added, the council was "reviewing local processes, targeting resources where demand and need is highest, reducing assessment delays" so the "necessary steps to improve timeliness and the quality of support" can be made.

Danielle Brown Kelly has two sons with additional needs who are currently home educated

The Leader of Somerset Council, councillor Bill Revans, has expressed his frustration at the delays. He said the present Send system is in "crisis".

Councillor Revans added the number of "young people needing Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) is rising faster than ever before and families are waiting even longer for the support their children desperately need".

The government said it would publish reforms to the Send system and other policy proposals for schools in England next year.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said there would be a "further period of co-creation, testing our proposals with the people who matter most in this reform".