15 Apr 2026
The mother of a daughter with special educational needs who said she was failed by Herts county council has revealed a happy ending to her story.
She originally spoke to the St Albans Times as part of the Every Pair Tells A Story campaign, which encouraged families to place a pair of empty shoes outside County Hall to represent youngsters let down by local authorities and the SEND system which was supposed to protect and support them.
This movement is not only for children missing from education. It stands for every child whose needs have been ignored, misunderstood or dismissed. It is for those isolated in classrooms without the right support, pushed into unsuitable mainstream schools, or waiting months and years for Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) that are delayed, denied or disregarded.
Every pair tells a story of exhaustion, heartbreak and families forced to fight for the very basics that every child deserves: education, inclusion and respect.
The extent of the SEND crisis in Herts was identified following an inspection in July 2023 which saw Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission highlight widespread and systematic failures across the county which had “significant negative impact on the experiences and outcomes of children and young people”.
They pointed out the poor communication with families, lengthy delays in preparing education, health and care plans (EHCPs) for children, and the poor quality when these were produced.
A priority action and improvement plan was introduced following the report, which promised extra investment into SEND provision, more school places and a fresh approach to autism and ADHD assessments, but there were little obvious signs of improvement under the previous Conservative administration.
When the Liberal Democras took control of HCC in May, they highlighted SEND provision as an immediate priority for reform.
Last month, HCC approved a new strategy setting out how the Local Area SEND Partnership will deliver services and support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Hertfordshire over the next three years.
At the heart of the new SEND strategy are the voices of young people, parent carers, staff, schools and settings. More than 1,200 voices contributed directly to its development, through the SEND summit and listening events last summer, with further contributions to refine plans added through the consultation.
During the Every Pair Tells A Story initiative, one St Albans mum revealed her own heartbreaking story.
She explained: “My daughter, who previously had 100 per cent attendance, started struggling going to school in January 2022 when she was in Year 6.
“This stemmed from bullying which was quashed quickly but seemed to knock her confidence, caused a lot of anxiety and meant that for the remainder of Year 6 she only went to school sporadically.
“She started secondary school in September and from the off struggled to go in – having breakdowns in the mornings.
Small things would set her off such as forgetting a mouthguard etc.
“For the next three years the school tried various methods to help, such as reduced timetables, no queue lunches, wearing PE kit rather than uniform because of the sensory demands, but she was unable to attend regularly.
“She was diagnosed autistic in spring 2023 after we had to pay for an assessment as the NHS waiting lists were so long, then with Inattentive ADHD this spring – also private for the same reasons. Her psychiatrist suggested we apply for an EHCP so we did in March of this year.
“Originally HCC said she didn’t need an assessment – which apparently came from one report about her ADHD symptoms – they ignored the rest of the evidence we had about her ASD and the struggles she had with attending school.
“By some magic I managed to speak to someone in the council who saw sense and managed to get them to reassess the case and the ‘panel’ decided that she did need an EHCP, so the assessment went ahead.
“Anyway we get to the summer and her EHCP is in draft and we even got them to state she needed smaller class sizes. We asked for her to attend St Albans Independent College as it has small classes and no uniform but isn’t a special school – she is a bright young person, who really wants to learn.
“The county council took this to ‘panel’ and decided that her original secondary should be the named school – even though they had tried for the last three years and my daughter has been unable to attend. Their argument was that she hadn’t tried with an EHCP before. The school tried everything they could but fundamentally my daughter is ulnable to cope with the sensory overwhelm she gets with at school. It’s too noisy and busy etc.
“Eventually the panel agreed to pay for the place at St Albans Independent College, but it should never have gone so far.
“This whole situation has caused significant stress for our family. Not only having to deal with a SEND child who has high anxiety and is unable to attend school but actually having to fight for what she needs.
“When she was still at her mainstream school she was unable to attend but the council put a lot of pressure on us as parents to prove that she was ill and not just missing school because we were too lazy to take her. This is a child who had many years 100 per cent attendance in primary school.
“Also with the NHS the waiting list to get assessed for ASD / ADHD are years. We had to pay for both in order to get her the support she needed. This cost us £3.5K. Parents I know who hadn’t got formal diagnoses struggled to get the ‘proof’ they needed their children were struggling.
“There needs to be more investment in suitable settings for children who do not have learning disabilities but are unable to cope in such a large school environment and with the demands of large schools. This is a significant gap in the provisions HCC has – they have SEMH [Social, Emotional, and Mental Health] schools but not really any that would help a lot of children out there. I know of lots of other children who would benefit from a similar setting.”
Months on, and things have dramatically improved since her daughter started at St Albans Independent College in September.
“It hasn’t all been plain sailing. Mornings can still be fraught. In the autumn term she got ill with Covid and flu, so missed quite a lot of the first term. But her attendance is improving all the time and she is getting tougher.
“Over time she is gaining resilience and having fun. In fact in some classes she is actually being cheeky, something she has never been before. Most parents would be disappointed to hear that but actually its good that she is no longer scared. Obviously, we haven’t encouraged this behaviour!
“She has made some lovely friends and been invited to parties and round their houses.
“If we had not fought for what she needed then she wouldn’t be getting an education and most importantly doing normal teenage things.
Parents shouldn’t have to fight to get what their children need. Not all children can cope in mainstream education. Our daughter is really bright and not really struggling with the academic side of things, it was just the school that was wrong for her. It’s amazing what can happen when children are given the right environment to learn.”
Following the launch of HCC’s new SEND strategy, Cllr Mark Watkin, executive member for education, SEND and inclusion added “This strategy draws on the experience of those who know Hertfordshire’s SEND system best – building on strengths and addressing areas for change. A key focus of its development has been listening and working collaboratively, something we will continue through the strategy’s delivery.
“We are committed to supporting children, young people and families through our refreshed, co-produced SEND Strategy, against the backdrop of national reform. And, as we face national changes and challenges together, we will continue to collaborate with a clear focus: delivering the best possible outcomes for Hertfordshire’s children and young people.”
