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Petition · past parliament · Department for Education

Replace “Special Educational Needs” within the Children & Families Act (2014).

Closed 370 signatures

What the petition asks

The Birmingham Youth Forum propose that the use of “Special Educational Needs” in the Children & Families Act (2014) and Code of Practice (2015) is outdated. It does not accurately describe provision that many children need. It should be replaced with the more appropriate term “additional needs”.
The Warnock Report (1978) introduced 'special educational needs' to identify a child needing extra or different support. In 2014 the SEND Code of Practice introduced major reform which aimed to be less confrontational, raise aspirations and fully involve children & families. However, in continuing to use the outdated term 'SEND', members of the Birmingham Youth Forum believe they are negatively discriminated against and not treated equally in relation to their additional educational needs.

Timeline

5 May 2021 Petition opened for signatures
5 Nov 2021 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 370
Status Closed
Department Department for Education
Opened 5 May 2021
Closed 5 Nov 2021

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.