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SEND Crisis: Councils push children with poor mental health back into mainstream schools

Parents warn of lasting trauma as local authorities facing financial meltdown withdraw support from children too unwell to attend school - report Sarah Woods and Lauren Crosby-Medlicott.

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The Lead Editors and Lauren Crosby Medlicott
Jun 28, 2025
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Kirsty Hadley pictured with her son: “The feeling of helplessness was so overwhelming.” Pic: The Lead

Parents are being forced to send children with serious mental health issues back into mainstream schools — or pay out of pocket to home-educate — after councils across rural England overspent on support for children with special educational needs and dis…

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