Bromley Council has launched a new Special Educational Needs (SEN) website amid the number of young people with complex needs in England has increased by 11.6%.
The online hub, Bromley SEND Local Offer, was published on 2 September and brings together information to support zero to 25-year-olds, as well as their parents and carers, with their education, health, socialisation, and post-school life.
Sarah Dowding, 33, an advocate and group supporter for Advocacy for All, helped shape the website, alongside a group she put together, after struggling throughout her own education with cerebral palsy and a learning delay.
She said: “I think a lot of people involved in the disability world do feel alone a lot of the time, so having this hub where everything is in one place, it is going to make everyone’s lives so much better.
“I know growing up, this website would have been massively important to my mum. This is really going to help change the awareness of parents and carers.”
The number of young people requiring an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) for their special educational needs – the highest level of statutory support – has increased by 11.6% in England since 2025.
This is an ongoing trend, with the amount of young people with an EHCP more than doubling in the last ten years.
Bromley Borough currently has the fifth highest number of EHCP students in London and Bromley Common sits within the top 10% of all areas across England.
A mum of two SEN children, Holly Royal, said the website is not helpful for her dyslexic daughter, as she does not have this level of need.
“My daughter is in Year Ten. She’s just starting her GCSEs and she’s going to have to have a lot of options because passing the exams is tricky for her. I’m going to have to have that conversation with each school and then do the rest myself,” Royal said.
“There’s a huge population of children who don’t have EHCPs and they’ve just got to find their way.”
This sentiment was shared by lots of parents whose children do not have an Education, Health and Care Plan.
A spokesperson for Bromley council said: “We recognise the importance of good information, and we are always looking at ways at updating and improving said information. This website is one of the latest efforts in helping to deliver on that.”
Featured image credit: Lauren Clarke
Join the discussion