When No School Can Meet Their Needs: My Journey as a Parent and Advocate Supporting Families Whose Children Are Out of Education

My journey into the world of SEND advocacy did not begin in an office, through a training course, or by chance.It began as a parent — a mother navigating a system that often felt impenetrable, inconsistent, and painfully slow.

I learned the law because I had no choice.I became an advocate because no family should have to fight alone.

Over the years, I have supported countless parents whose children have fallen out of education for reasons completely outside of their control. Some children are out of school due to ESBA (Emotionally Based School Avoidance). Others are waiting for a specialist placement that simply does not yet exist. And many more are unable to attend a mainstream setting because of medical needs, sensory vulnerability, safety concerns, or trauma that has been overlooked for far too long.

Despite different diagnoses and backgrounds, all these families share one heartbreaking theme:

Their child wants to learn — but the system around them isn’t ready, resourced, or able to meet their needs.

The Reality: Children Not in School Through No Fault of Their Own

I have sat with parents who feel they are failing their child, when in reality the system is failing them.

I have heard the same words repeated again and again:

“There’s no school that can meet their needs.”“The placement broke down.”“We’re waiting for the specialist school to offer a place.”“They’re too anxious to attend.”“The LA told me to ‘keep them at home’ until something becomes available.”

These situations are not rare — they are increasing.Children with profound medical needs, sensory processing difficulties, PDA, severe anxiety, trauma, or complex profiles often end up with no suitable school available, even when an EHCP is in place.

But here is what every parent needs to know:

Your child has a legal right to education even when there is no physical school that can meet their needs.

When There Is No Placement, the LA Still Has a Non-Negotiable Duty

Whether a child is:

• awaiting a specialist placement

• recovering from trauma or medical treatment

• unable to cope with school due to ESBA

• between placements due to breakdown

• left without a suitable school that can meet their EHCP

The Local Authority must put in place education that is:

• suitable

• full-time

• immediate

This duty comes from:

📌 Section 19 of the Education Act 1996

The LA must arrange education for any child who is out of school for medical, emotional, behavioural, or placement-related reasons.

and

📌 Section F of the EHCP

All provision must continue — therapies, interventions, specialist teaching — even if the child is at home.

Education does not stop because a placement is unavailable.Provision does not “pause” while the LA looks for a school.

The law follows the child.

Tutoring at Home or in the Community: A Lifeline for Children Not in School

Because there are not enough specialist schools, and because children with ESBA or medical needs often cannot access crowded mainstream environments, many families rely on:

✨ 1:1 tutoring at home✨ Community-based education in safe spaces✨ Hybrid therapeutic packages✨ Online learning combined with specialist support✨ Interim provision while a specialist placement is sourced

This is not a luxury.It is not optional.It is not something you must “wait for.”

It is a legal obligation of the Local Authority.

For many of the families I support, tutoring is the bridge between crisis and recovery — a way to maintain learning, rebuild confidence, and stabilise emotional wellbeing until the right school becomes available.

My Advocacy Work: Standing Beside Parents Who Are Exhausted and Unheard

Over the years, I have supported parents whose children were:

• too unsafe or overwhelmed for mainstream

• refused admission to specialist settings

• discharged from hospital but unable to attend school

• placed on impossible waiting lists

• traumatised by unmanaged needs

• unable to leave the house due to crippling anxiety

• medically fragile and requiring bespoke education

These parents were told:

“There’s nothing available right now.”“You’ll have to wait for the next panel.”“We don’t provide tutors.”“It’s better not to put anything in place until the new school is confirmed.”“Your child isn’t sick enough / anxious enough / broken enough.”

Every one of those statements is unlawful.

And every time, with the right evidence, legal framing, and a clear demand letter, we were able to secure:

✔ tutoring✔ therapeutic provision✔ 1:1 support✔ sensory programmes✔ SALT/OT delivered at home✔ community learning arrangements

The relief parents feel when someone finally says, “You’re not wrong — the law is on your side,” is profound.

What I Tell Every Parent in This Situation

You are not being unreasonable.

You are not exaggerating.

You are not expected to homeschool.

You are not responsible for filling the gap.

If the system cannot provide a school, the system must provide a tutor.

If the provision in Section F cannot be delivered in school, it must be delivered anywhere your child can access it.

If anxiety, trauma, medical needs, or sensory overwhelm make school unsafe, the LA must adapt — not your child.

Final Thoughts: No Child Should Be Left Without Education

My journey as a parent and advocate has shown me the strength, resilience, and love families carry — often while holding the system together with their bare hands.

But it has also shown me this:

Children not in school are some of the most vulnerable young people in our communities — and they deserve immediate, specialist, tailored education, not empty promises or endless delays.

If you are a parent in this situation and need help:

• drafting the right letters

• Understanding Your Rights

• challenging decisions

• securing interim provision

• strengthening Section F

I am here to support you.

Your child should not have to wait for the system to catch up.Education must meet them where they are — today, not someday.