Early intervention: A solution for schools amidst SEND reform challenges

Written by Hollie McFarlane,

Assistant Head of Teaching & Learning – Inclusion and SEND.

As assistant head of T&L here at Tute, leading on inclusion and SEND I work closely with our partners – schools, local authorities, and non-mainstream settings  –  who are deeply committed to supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. I know first-hand the immense pressures they are under. 

Before joining Tute, I spent over 20 years in mainstream secondary schools, wearing many hats: teacher, DSL, pastoral lead, SENDCo, and assistant headteacher. I’ve been the person on the other end of the phone when a desperate parent breaks down in tears, feeling like the system has failed their child.  

I’ve sat in late-night meetings with exhausted staff, trying to find a solution for a student at risk of falling through the cracks.  

I’ve seen brilliant, passionate SENDCos stretched beyond capacity, trying to fight for the support their students deserve. 

Sadly, the moments that have stayed with me the most are the conversations I’ve had with the children. I’ve listened to so many young people who felt different but just wanted to fit in. The ones who told me, with quiet voices, that they didn’t understand why everything felt harder for them than it did for their friends. The ones who hid their struggles because they didn’t want to be, “the difficult one,” or “the problem child.” The ones who felt like they didn’t belong. 

Some were so exhausted from masking their struggles all day that they wouldn’t leave their bedrooms, completely drained by the effort of trying to fit in.  

Some became so overwhelmed that they shut down completely, retreating from education, friendships, and even family life.  

And some… some were so desperate that they saw no way forward at all: they attempted the unthinkable.  

And it continues. It’s getting worse. This is a crisis that CANNOT be ignored. 

According to the Cambridge English Dictionary, a crisis is defined as, “a time of great disagreement, confusion, or suffering,” and that is exactly where too many of these young people find themselves. Isolated, unheard, and without the intervention they so desperately need.  

I refused to stand by and watch it happen. I did everything I could to create better opportunities. I even established an  on-site alternative provision centre because I knew that waiting for the system to change wasn’t an option. If mainstream education was not working for them, I had to do something – anything, to make sure they still had a future. 

The centre succeeded for a time. It gave students a safe space, personalised support, and the chance to re-engage with education in a way that worked for them. But then, as demand grew, so did the challenges. I was spinning too many plates: juggling responsibilities, fighting for funding, and facing the all-too-familiar struggle of finding enough high-quality, trained staff to meet the level of care and education these children deserved. In the end, I had to make the difficult decision to step away due to ill health. However, I don’t see it as a failure. I’m proud that I tried.  

I learned so much from that experience. About the gaps in the system, about what works, and about just how desperately early intervention is needed.  

And that’s exactly why I’m writing this. Because while this blog might sound like I’m trying to sell you something, I’m not. I want to highlight that there are options out there. When I sat across from those young people and their families, when I felt that deep frustration of knowing what they needed but not being able to give it to them quickly enough, I wish I had known about Tute. I wish I had known that there was another way. A way to stop the waiting, to bridge the gap, to give those children something now, rather than asking them to hold on for an uncertain future. 

This is the reality schools are facing, and it’s why early intervention isn’t just important, it is critical.  

Every single one of these children and their desperate families deserved support before they reached crisis point. They deserved a system that noticed their struggles sooner, that stepped in before they lost hope, that gave them a chance to thrive rather than just survive. 

A typical scenario: The challenge of timely support 

A Year 8 student, Liam, has undiagnosed autism and struggles with anxiety. He finds the busy classroom environment overwhelming, leading to school refusal. The school’s SEND team is doing everything they can, but with waiting lists for external assessments stretching to months or even years (children are still waiting long times to access support, with nearly 40,000 children experiencing waits of at least two years according to a report by the Children’s Commissioner for England), they know Liam is at risk of becoming disengaged from education entirely. 

How Tute helped 

This is where Tute stepped in quickly, providing an immediate, flexible, and high-quality online intervention that works within Liam’s existing school support plan. Here’s how: 

1. Short-term intervention while waiting for assessments: Instead of missing months of education, Liam accesses small-group or  one-to-one lessons tailored to his needs, reducing anxiety, and re-engaging him in learning. 

2. A safe, structured learning environment: Liam’s live lessons are delivered by experienced, qualified teachers who understand how to support him as a neurodiverse learner. Liam learns from home or in a quiet space at school. 

3. Bespoke curriculum and scaffolding: Tute adjusts teaching approaches, pace, and content to match Liam’s needs, helping to keep him engaged in education at his setting  

4. Collaboration with schools and local authorities: We work with the school and others involved in Liam’s education, including his parents to ensure that our intervention is aligned with broader support plans. 

Working together for a more inclusive system 

Early intervention is not just about education: it is about prevention. By offering immediate, evidence-based support, we can prevent small challenges from turning into crises. 

Tute’s model aligns with the vision for SEND reform: timely, equitable access to quality provision. While structural change takes time, we can act now to help schools and local authorities manage demand, reduce pressure, and ensure that more children like Liam stay on track. 

If you are a school leader, SENDCo, or local authority professional facing similar challenges, please reach out. Together, we can make early intervention a reality.