Summary
Kellie Bright, an actress from EastEnders, discusses her experiences as a parent of a child with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) in England. She highlights the challenges her family faced in accessing educational support for her autistic son and creates a documentary to explore similar issues faced by other families.
Key Facts
- Kellie Bright is an actress and mother to an autistic son who also has dyslexia and ADHD.
- She created a documentary to explore the experiences of families with Send children and to discuss the education system in England.
- In England, more than 1.7 million children have special educational needs and require additional support.
- Parents can apply for an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) to secure legally binding educational support.
- Over 638,000 EHCPs were issued at the start of the year, showing a significant increase in applications.
- Bright and many parents find the EHCP application process frustrating and time-consuming.
- Buddy, a 15-year-old with autism, had difficulty securing a school placement without an EHCP after moving to London.
- In Scotland, the system for supporting Send children differs, allowing for easier access to educational support.
