News / Education
Highlighting struggles faced by ‘forgotten’ children of Bristol
‘My child was identified as having autistic traits by primary school. They are in year 10, still waiting for assessment.’
‘Neurodivergence labelled as difficult behaviour/oversensitive/ not interested in learning.’
‘School didn’t support, instead expelled him.’
These were some of the stark accounts of being a child with special educational needs & disabilities (SEND) in Bristol highlighted at a protest led by affected families.
Echoing demonstrations across England and Scotland, dozens of pairs of shoes were lined up outside City Hall to shine a light on the “forgotten” children who have been failed by the SEND system.
“Each pair tells the story of a child who has missed out on the education and support they deserve,” said organisers of the Every Pair Tells a Story event.
The aim was to unite families to call for “accountability, inclusion and meaningful reform” as part of efforts to improve the lives and prospects of children who want to learn, play and be included but are left behind due to their complex needs.
The shoes laid out in front of the city’s council offices had photos and notes of personal stories attached
The protest reflected ongoing issues in our city, with SEND having been at the centre of political rows in Bristol for the past decade.
Bristol has a higher-than-average rate of pupils requiring special educational needs support, with just over 14,500 SEND pupils in Bristol schools, which accounts for 20.6 per cent of all students.
Rates of SEND vary significantly across the city, with 27 per cent of pupils living in Hartcliffe and Withywood having SEND compared to 12 per cent in Redland.
Bristol24/7 photographer Rob Browne captured the symbolic event that took place on Monday morning:
All photos: Rob Browne
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