Record 1 in 5 pupils in England getting special education needs support

Nearly one in five pupils in England are receiving support for special educational needs (SEN) in the classroom, according to government statistics.

It comes as separate statistics show a sharp rise in the number of tribunals concerning special educational needs support, as parents challenge the support on offer for their child.

Teaching unions say systemic change in special educational needs provision is "urgently needed" for schools and students.

The government said it will set out more detailed plans for reforms to special educational needs in the autumn.

The number of school pupils in England receiving support for special educational needs rose to more than 1.7 million, according to annual statistics from the Department for Education released on Thursday.

That's a rise of 5.6%, or an extra 93,700 pupils compared to last year.

It means nearly one in five of pupils in England (19.6%) are getting extra support for special educational needs, the highest proportion since statistics were collected in this way.

Over 482,000 of those pupils have an education, health and care plan (EHCP) - a legal document issued by local authorities that sets out the support a child needs.

Since 2016, the number of children receiving all types of special needs support has risen by 44% and those with an EHCP has more than doubled.

The EHCP increase has been driven by rising rates of autistic spectrum disorder among pupils, speech and language problems, and more pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs, the independent think tank the Institute for Fiscal studies said.

The statistics show autistic spectrum disorder is the most common need named on education, health and care plans.

Although it is unclear what is behind the rise, the IFS has said it could be down to better recognition of autistic spectrum disorder symptoms, particularly in girls.

There's recent research that suggests reduced interactions during Covid impacted speech and language development for some children.

Helping pupils struggling with their speech, language and communication is the most common type of special educational needs support that schools are giving, according to Thursday's data.

Even getting an education, health and care plan in place for their child can be an ordeal for parents.

Cath is a mum from Bristol. She is in the process of applying for an EHCP for her nine-year-old son, who has been diagnosed with autism and ADHD.

She's currently getting his needs assessed to see what extra support can be put in place. She says his mainstream school have been supportive, but her son needs more support than they can offer without an EHCP.

She says "having to go through the system and fight every step of the way - it takes a big toll on you."

"We're constantly filling in forms and thinking what is best for our child."

She says they are "in limbo" as his needs might not be great enough for a specialist school, but he is struggling in mainstream.

"You're seeing them struggling and you're crying out for help and there's no one who can give it to you."

Cath says she's concerned that the government will make changes to - or abolish - EHCPs in their upcoming reforms.

Teaching unions have said that rising number of pupils who need extra support is putting more pressure on schools.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the headteacher's union the NAHT said "despite incredible efforts" the current system is "completely unsustainable".

He said "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".

More parents are turning to tribunals to challenge the support on offer for their child. Separate statistics out today from the Ministry of Justice show there were 24,000 SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) tribunals brought in the year to April, an increase of 36% on the previous year and the highest number on record.

The National Audit Office said in a report last year that the SEND system as a whole "wasn't financially sustainable" and wasn't delivering better outcomes for children and young people, despite big increases in high-needs funding over the last 10 years. Local authorities are under huge financial pressure because of rising SEND needs. A deal holding £3bn of SEND deficits off local authorities books is due to run out next year.

Tim Oliver, chair of the County Councils Network, said councils were facing a "financial cliff edge" if the deficits did land in local authorities' accounts, "potentially rendering half of England's county and unitary councils insolvent overnight".

He said councils needed "urgent clarity on how government intends to manage these deficits".

The government said in the spending review they would be setting out their long-awaited plans to reform the SEND system in England this autumn in a government white paper.

They've also set aside £760m over two years to reform SEND from a transformation fund

In response to today's figures for SEN pupils and the rise in SEND tribunals Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: "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.

"It doesn't have to be this way, and this government will deliver the reform that families are crying out for through our Plan for Change – giving an excellent education to every child.

"We have already taken the first steps to identify and meet children's needs earlier in mainstream schools, including through more early intervention across speech and language, ADHD and autism to prevent needs from escalating and £740m to encourage councils to create more specialist places in mainstream schools."

Additional data reporting by Harriet Agerholm