How to move from verbal reassurance to written support, evidence, reviews and escalation when school says it is doing enough.
8 min read
If your child is unsafe, self-harming, being harmed, missing significant education, or you feel close to crisis, seek same-day help from the right service: GP, NHS 111, 999 in an emergency, school safeguarding lead, social care, or your local mental health crisis route.
If school says support is in place, ask for the written SEN Support plan, APDR notes, targets, interventions, review dates and evidence of progress.
Support should be specific enough that you can tell whether it happened. 'Access to support' or 'adult help as needed' is hard to review.
The key question is whether your child is making expected progress and whether the support matches the identified need. A child can be academically able and still need SEND support for communication, anxiety, sensory processing, attendance, handwriting, social understanding or independence.
Bring examples: work samples, behaviour logs, attendance, homework distress, after-school collapse, toileting, sleep, anxiety and professional reports.
Ask for a SENCo meeting, then follow up with a short email listing what was agreed, who will do it and when it will be reviewed.
If progress is still poor despite support, ask whether school will request top-up funding or support an EHC needs assessment. You can also request the assessment yourself.
Local SENDIASS, parent carer forums, Local Offer pages and SEND services vary by area. Set your location on SENDadvisor to bring local contacts into view alongside this national guidance.
Back to resourcesLast reviewed: 18 June 2026
