Perspectives on SEND: Parents, Professionals, and the Adequacy of Provision in Mainstream Schools in England

Across a three-week period, this method surfaced 89 eligible videos, with 94% of the “For You” page broadly relevant to the research area. These videos all from SEND parents based in England, were screened, transcribed and thematically analysed. To complement this, a national survey of education professionals provided both quantitative and qualitative insights, enabling comparison between parental and professional perspectives.</p><p dir="ltr">Findings from parents revealed seven key themes which could be grouped into three overarching areas: Systemic and structural barriers, Relationship dynamics, wellbeing and lived experience.

The prevalence of these themes shaped the design of the survey for education professionals. Preliminary comparison between the two groups revealed both alignment and divergence: while professionals validated many parental concerns, such as masking, the “gap” between mainstream and SEND school suitability, and the lack of adaptation for off-timetable events, they often perceived greater inclusivity within their own school environments than parents reported.

However, both groups unanimously identified deficits in the current education system, with professionals highlighting barriers including insufficient funding, staffing shortages, and lack of specialist training. This research demonstrates the value of integrating multiple groups of perspectives to provide a more nuanced understanding of SEND provision. It also demonstrates the potential of Algorithmic Content Curation for capturing timely, authentic accounts of lived experience, which can inform both policy and practice in inclusive education.</p>