Suffolk parents protest over lack of SEND school places

The protest was held outside Suffolk County Council's headquarters in Ipswich

Parents have been protesting over what they say is a lack of school places for children with special educational needs.

Dozens of people took part in a demonstration outside Suffolk County Council's Endeavour House in Ipswich.

Parent Abby Mattin said she may have to home school her twin daughters, after their applications for September were turned down.

The council said improving provision was a "top priority".

But, it said, nationally there was a "huge increase" in the number of children needing specialist education.

The Conservative-run council's services are currently undergoing an overhaul after it was criticised for its special educational needs and disability (SEND) provision.

In October, the authority agreed to invest £10m of funding for specialist units, and said most would be opened by 2024 or 2025.

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Ms Mattin, from Rendlesham, said her daughters, who have complex medical and developmental needs, needed places this September as "going to a mainstream school is not an option for them".

She said she thought her daughters would be accepted for a specialist school placement because their needs were "so severe" but "there just isn't enough spaces to go around all the children in Suffolk".

"We've been left quite shocked really and facing the possibility of having to home school which is something we never anticipated," she said.

She said they were going to try to appeal and were also looking at places outside Suffolk.

Meanwhile, she said she was joining the "peaceful" protest to "get our point across, we are going to fight for what our children deserve".

Dozens of people gathered outside Endeavour House in what was described as a "peaceful" protest

Rachel Hood, the council's cabinet member for education, SEND and skills, said it had been predicted that Suffolk would have a 23.7% increase in demand for SEND provision by 2025 - compared to the national average of just over 16%.

"We are aware that there is this large increase in the numbers of children who we need to and are determined to provide appropriately for," she said.

She added: "We all want the system to be better and that is the top priority for Suffolk County Council."