More than 100,000 people have signed a petition to protect the legal rights of children and young people with SEND, making a Commons debate very likely.
Tee-Jay, a 14-year-old autistic campaigner, started the petition in June, following a Government consultation that many campaigners argued was limited in scope and difficult to access. The Government’s proposals could limit access to Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), replace individual plans with standardised packages, reduce families’ rights of appeal and remove the Tribunal’s power to secure a child a place at a suitable school.
Tee-Jay spent years struggling in mainstream school without the right provision, and moving to a specialist setting changed his education. His petition means MPs will have to sit up and listen to the voices of families, children and young people affected by these proposals.
This is the second time the public has pushed SEND legal rights onto Parliament’s agenda. The first petition gathered more than 132,000 signatures and led to a debate in September 2025. The Government has already responded to Tee-Jay’s petition, but a debate would put the question in front of MPs directly.
“Existing legal rights for SEND must be retained,” said Suzy Yardley, CEO of Child Autism UK.
“It’s fantastic – but not surprising – to see Tee-Jay’s petition go beyond 100,000 signatures. This reflects the strength of feeling from parents who are terrified that without these rights, their children will not be able to access the education they deserve to reach their potential.”
Thank you to everyone who signed and shared. There is still work to do:
- Keep signing and sharing. More signatures show MPs how widely this is felt. Sign the petition.
- Write to your MP. Ask them to attend the debate and speak up for enforceable SEND rights. Save Our Children’s Rights has a Write to Your MP tool.
- Follow the campaign at Save Our Children’s Rights.
More than 100,000 people have signed a petition to protect the legal rights of children and young people with SEND, making a Commons debate very likely.
Tee-Jay, a 14-year-old autistic campaigner, started the petition in June, following a Government consultation that many campaigners argued was limited in scope and difficult to access. The Government’s proposals could limit access to Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), replace individual plans with standardised packages, reduce families’ rights of appeal and remove the Tribunal’s power to secure a child a place at a suitable school.
Tee-Jay spent years struggling in mainstream school without the right provision, and moving to a specialist setting changed his education. His petition means MPs will have to sit up and listen to the voices of families, children and young people affected by these proposals.
This is the second time the public has pushed SEND legal rights onto Parliament’s agenda. The first petition gathered more than 132,000 signatures and led to a debate in September 2025. The Government has already responded to Tee-Jay’s petition, but a debate would put the question in front of MPs directly.
“Existing legal rights for SEND must be retained,” said Suzy Yardley, CEO of Child Autism UK.
“It’s fantastic – but not surprising – to see Tee-Jay’s petition go beyond 100,000 signatures. This reflects the strength of feeling from parents who are terrified that without these rights, their children will not be able to access the education they deserve to reach their potential.”
Thank you to everyone who signed and shared. There is still work to do:
- Keep signing and sharing. More signatures show MPs how widely this is felt. Sign the petition.
- Write to your MP. Ask them to attend the debate and speak up for enforceable SEND rights. Save Our Children’s Rights has a Write to Your MP tool.
- Follow the campaign at Save Our Children’s Rights.
