Overview

• The BBC documentary follows families navigating refusals and delays for Education, Health and Care Plans, including a teenager taught 19 hours a week in a library and a mother who paused her midwifery job after applying to at least 11 schools.
• Kellie Bright recounts that after she and her husband moved toward a tribunal when their council refused to assess their son, the authority agreed to assess and he was subsequently granted an EHCP for his transition to secondary school.
• Official figures show EHCPs rose to about 638,745 in January 2025, nearly double 2019 levels, with councils reporting projected high‑needs funding deficits exceeding £3.3bn.
• The Institute for Fiscal Studies projects SEND costs could grow from roughly £17bn to £22bn by 2029 without reform, reflecting what auditors and councils describe as an unsustainable model.
• Education minister Georgia Gould says plans for the forthcoming Schools White Paper will emphasize earlier, in‑school support and retain a legal entitlement to help, with the government pointing to £740m for additional specialist places.