Three in ten parents say the school system does not work for their child. Flexible and online providers are watching.

Research commissioned by Wolsey Hall Oxford found 29 per cent of parents place their child in the SEN category, 32 per cent believe the curriculum is outdated, and 70 per cent of parents with SEN children say a one-size-fits-all approach no longer works. The online education sector is responding to a market signal that has been building for years.

By Wistl Newsroom · 12 May 2026 · Schools

A survey of 2,000 parents of children aged five to 18, commissioned by Wolsey Hall Oxford and conducted by Perspectus Global in March 2026, found that nearly three in ten parents, 29 per cent, placed their child in the special educational needs category, with autism cited by 53 per cent of those parents, ADHD by 43 per cent, anxiety by 28 per cent and dyslexia by 18 per cent. Seventy per cent of parents with SEN children said a one-size-fits-all approach no longer worked for their child, while 81 per cent described the nine-to-three model as outdated and old-fashioned. Twenty-two per cent said