Families gathered outside Scarborough town council offices on Monday 3rd November 2025 as part of a powerful national awareness movement called "Every Pair Tells a Story".
The protest, held between 10:30 am and 1 pm, aimed to expose the deepening crisis within the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system.
The demonstration saw parents, carers, and children laying out rows of children’s shoes. Each pair, according to organisers, represented a child who has been failed by the system.
The movement, organised by The SEND Sanctuary UK in partnership with Let Us Learn Too and Let’s Make a Difference, took place across 92 local authority areas.
The laid-out footwear symbolised children who have been denied education due to delayed Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), a fundamental lack of support, exclusion, or isolation within unsuitable settings. For some families, these shoes were never worn because the child was reportedly never given a school place. In other cases, they were worn for only a few weeks before the situation "fell apart".
"Every pair tells a story of a family fighting to be heard," stated the organisers, describing the event as "a call for change, accountability and compassion".
Aimee Bradley, founder of The SEND Sanctuary UK, asserted that the crisis extended beyond mere educational access. “This is not just about missing education,” she claimed. “It is about the loss of childhoods, opportunities and hope”. She added that “Every pair of shoes is a child’s story, and together they form a message too powerful to ignore. We are standing for every child who has been left behind”.
The national context of the protest highlighted the mounting struggles faced by families. The SEND Sanctuary UK notes that across the country, parents continue to battle an education system that frequently fails to meet its legal obligations. According to the organisation, more than 600,000 children in England have identified special educational needs, while over 70,000 are waiting for EHCPs to be processed. Furthermore, thousands of children have reportedly been left without any school place at all.
Many parents feel compelled to give up their employment to educate their children at home after years of struggling to secure necessary help.
Parents are demanding genuine change from the government, particularly as it prepares to roll out its SEND and Alternative Provision reforms. They are calling for reforms that listen to families, end the perceived postcode lottery in provision, and restore trust in a system they believe has been failing children for too long.
Ms Bradley emphasised the central role of parents in identifying deficiencies within the structure: “The government must listen to parents,” she continued. “We are not the problem. We are the evidence of the problem. Our children deserve more than words. They deserve action, fairness and a future”.
Following the event in Scarborough, all shoes were scheduled to be collected by volunteers, sorted for donation, and distributed to local charities supporting children and families. The SEND Sanctuary UK is a national parent-led organisation representing over 35,000 families, providing support, advocacy, and campaigning for accountability and inclusion for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
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