(England) 33.5% of SPED plans are for children with autism

June 11, 2026, Number of pupils with EHCPs rises above half a million | Tes

There are now more than half a million pupils with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) in schools, the latest data shows - with the number having risen by almost 25 per cent in the past two years.

New Department for Education statistics on special educational needs from the school census show that there were 538,547 pupils with EHCPs in 2025-26 - up 11.6 per cent on last year and 23.9 per cent on 2023-24.

The government is projecting that EHCPs will continue to rise until 2030, but hopes its planned reforms to special educational needs and disabilities support will then bring the figure back down to current levels.

The latest DfE figures give an overview of the number of pupils with SEND in the system and their needs.

The data shows that the number of pupils with an EHCP has now passed the half a million mark for the first time, and the figure has risen year on year since 2016, when there were 236,806 EHCPs.

Six per cent of all pupils now have an EHCP, compared with 5.2 per cent last year.

EHCPs are statutory documents setting out a pupil’s needs and how they will be met. The government had been considering whether they were the “right vehicle” to provide support, but announced earlier this year that they would be retained but reformed under its plans for the future of the SEND system.

More pupils receiving SEN support

The data also shows that the number of pupils who receive SEN support but do not have an EHCP is also rising, but at a slower rate.

There were 1,319,780 pupils in schools in England on SEN support in 2025-26, up by 2.8 per cent compared with the previous year.

The percentage of all pupils in the country who have SEN support has increased to 14.8 per cent, from 14.2 per cent in 2025.

Pupils with an EHCP account for an increasing proportion of pupils with SEND: the latest figures show it is now 29 per cent, compared with 19.3 per cent in 2016. . . .

ASD the most common primary need in EHCPs

The data also shows the prevalence of different types of SEND among pupils.

The most common primary need among pupils with EHCPs is autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which accounts for 33.5 per cent of pupils.

This is followed by a primary need of speech, language and communications needs (22.1 per cent of pupils with EHCPs).

The most common type of need among pupils with SEN support is speech, language and communication - the primary need for 25.7 per cent of pupils.

This is followed by social, emotional and mental health needs (SEMH), the primary need for 24.8 per cent of pupils; and moderate learning difficulty, the primary need for 13.8 of pupils on SEN support.

SEN support most prevalent for 10-year-olds

The proportion of pupils who have SEN support increases through primary school age groups, reaching a peak of 17.7 per cent at the age of 10.

The DfE says this then “steadily declines through secondary ages” to 14 per cent at the age of 15, and continues to decrease after compulsory school age.

The percentage of pupils with an EHCP also increases through primary school age groups, from 3.6 per cent at the age of 4 to a slightly later peak of 6.9 per cent at 11, before slightly declining to 6.4 per cent among 15-year-olds. The proportion continues to decrease after compulsory school age.

Rise in SEN units

The new data shows there has been a marked increase in the number of schools running SEN units, from 449 in 2024-25 to 514 in 2025-26 - an increase of 14.4 per cent.

SEN units are special provisions within mainstream schools where pupils with SEND are taught within separate classes for at least half of their time.

The data also shows there has been an increase in resourced provisions being run in schools: there were 1,309 schools with a resourced provision in 2025-26, a slight increase from 1,217 the previous year.

Resourced provision is also a type of setting for pupils with SEND, but pupils in this provision will still spend most of their education in mainstream classes.

The DfE is proposing to move to a new system of “inclusion bases” - which will replace the terms “SEN unit” and “resourced provision”, and is also expected to incorporate the work of some pupil support units in schools that currently do not have a formal designation.

Under the new system there will be specialist bases commissioned by councils, and support bases commissioned by schools and trusts.