A short briefing published today by the Local Government Association shows that almost one in five pupils in England, 19.6%, currently require additional specialist help for their SEND. This figure represents, by far, the highest percentage ever recorded since this data has been collected. Last year in April, more than 1.7 million school children received support under different categories of SEND. This is an extraordinary, unprecedented 5.6% increase, netting the state an additional 93,700 pupils over last year.
The rise in the number of pupils supported is symptomatic of the larger trends ongoing in the educational landscape. Nationally, local authorities are facing a truly phenomenal 24,000 SEND tribunals submitted in just the last year. This is a stunning 36% jump over last year, which is a new record for the most ever recorded thus far. This surge indicates a growing demand for special education services amid rising concerns among parents and educators regarding the adequacy of support for children with special needs.
Since 2016, the world for children with special educational needs has shifted overnight. The overall increase for children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) has surged. In England it has more than doubled, exceeding 482,000 pupils at any one time during this period. The 30 percent increase can largely be attributed to the increase in diagnoses for autistic spectrum disorders and speech and language challenges. At the same time, there is a great new understanding about students’ social, emotional, and mental health needs.
If schools around the country were doing nothing but preventing and helping just those students who have the greatest need in terms of speech, language and communication skills. This has been reflected in the growth of this area as the most prevalent type of special educational need recorded in schools. The increased demand for those who advocate for children highlights how imperative the challenges are that educators and policymakers continue to struggle against.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson highlighted the human aspect behind these statistics, stating, “Behind each one of these figures is a family desperately fighting for even the most basic support for their child, leaving a staggering number of parents exhausted while young people are denied precious help.”
The government has set aside £760 million over two years for SEND reforms through a transformation fund. Even with this big step in the positive direction, serious doubts linger about whether the current system is sustainable in the long term. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), underlined the crisis experienced by schools. He stated, “Schools face shortages of experts like educational psychologists and speech and language therapists, and a postcode lottery in accessing additional money from cash-strapped local authorities for pupils with the greatest needs – while parents are having to take councils to tribunal to get the places they want for their children due to a lack of capacity.”
The current landscape must be the starting point when considering what reforms we’d like to see to SEND support. Specifically, the government committed to bring forward more detailed proposals for reform this autumn. An EHCP can often be the vital lifeblood that families need. Yet there is a fear that these plans will be altered or even eliminated.
That temporary arrangement, which holds £3 billion in SEND deficits off local authorities’ balance sheets, will come to an end next year. In response, local governments are bracing for the wave of fiscal contagion. It would make today’s pressing concerns even worse. It would likely have the effect of raising the barrier to serving students who need special education services.
Cath, a parent navigating these challenges, expressed her frustration over the lack of assistance available, saying, “You’re seeing them struggling and you’re crying out for help and there’s no one who can give it to you.”
