Three Send students reflect on their school experience - and what they'd like to change

The IPPR's inclusion task force has spoken to children like Evie, parents and teachers about the changes they'd like to see.

It says local authorities should keep responsibility for creating individual plans for pupils with more complex needs and that "the current approach to supporting children with special educational needs is fundamentally flawed".

Often families are being "driven" to seek support through EHCPs because their needs are not being met in mainstream schools, which is costing local authorities a lot more, the IPPR says.

It wants the government to introduce a new statutory layer of support in mainstream schools called Additional Learning Support, which could be accessed by a child without a diagnosis or the need for a lengthy assessment process.

The IPPR also recommends that:

A DfE spokesperson said they are "determined to deliver reforms which ensure all children can access the right help at the right time, without delay".

"Work is already under way to make sure support is available as routine and at the earliest stage – including through improved training for teachers, £740m to create more specialist school places, earlier intervention for speech and language needs and embedding Send leads in our Best Start Family Hubs in every local area."

Betsey, also 18, has just started a psychology course at the University of Greenwich, and lives at home with her parents in London.

She loves her course so far, and much prefers it to her time at school and sixth form.

That's largely because it was only in Year 12 that she was diagnosed with autism - and missed out on extra support up until that point.

"I feel like I was disregarded a bit," Betsey says. "But it's also because schools just don't have the resources and funding to cater for all the needs of Send students."

The government has said it wants more students with Send to stay in mainstream schools.

But Betsey found the loud environment and social side of mainstream secondary school difficult, which she says had a big impact on her attendance.

"I experienced autistic burnout," she says. "So I was really struggling to get to school and stay throughout the day."

"I started going less, and having meltdowns before and after school, because I couldn't cope with the environment."

Betsey wants other late-diagnosed autistic girls to ask for support when they're struggling, so that they don't "slip under the radar".

"I think a lot of autistic people maybe don't push for the support they want because they don't want to be an inconvenience or cause problems," she says.

"A lot of it is down to masking. Pretending you're not struggling, fitting in with social norms."

"It might come across that they're not struggling when they actually are."

Though she's doing well now, and receiving lots of support at university, Betsey wishes it had come earlier.

"I think it's kind of frustrating to know I could have got support throughout school and earlier in my life."

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