(England) Increase in special needs plans expected to continue until 2030; $5.4B to train every teacher in SPED
- 8 minutes ago
- 3 min read
A record 1.8 million children in the UK have special educational needs (SEN), an increase of 91,400 (5%) on the previous year.
The latest data released by the Department for Education (DfE) shows a continuation of a steadily increasing trend since 2016.
Among the figures, 538,500 pupils now have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) , an increase of 11.6% on the previous year, and representing 6% of all pupils in England, more than double those recorded ten years ago.
This rising number comes ahead of planned reforms to the system, which have been widely criticised by parents of children with SEN.
ITV News understands EHCP numbers are expected to continue to increase, but at a slower rate through to 2029/30 as the government transitions to the new system. The government believes as these reforms come into effect, it is thought the number of children needing an EHCP to access support will return to regular levels by 2035.
Within the rising numbers, an increasing disadvantage among pupils with SEN, compared to those without, is highlighted.
45.3% of pupils with an EHC plan, and 39.8% with SEN support, are eligible for free school meals, with just 22.7% of all pupils in schools without SEN qualifying by contrast.
A DfE spokesperson said the new data showed the growing pressure facing its SEND (Special Education Needs and Disabilities) system.
"These figures lay bare the scale of the challenge we inherited - a SEND system under immense strain, record numbers of EHCPs, and nearly half of those plans going to disadvantaged children," the spokesperson said.
"That's why we are investing over £4 billion [$5.4B] to bring specialist support directly into schools, to train every teacher to better support SEND, and give mainstream settings the expertise and resources they need to meet children's needs earlier and more effectively.
"We are building a system that delivers for every child in every school, while making sure those who need the most help are never left behind. When schools have the expertise and capacity to support children facing the greatest barriers, every child benefits.”
Echoing the concerns of parents, the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson described the SEND system as "broken", saying "children's educations and lives have suffered".
In February, the government announced major reforms to the SEND system as part of its schools white paper.
These included a new tiered support structure, with different levels of support being given to children with varying degrees of need.
The government also intends to replace EHCPs, the legal mandate for certain support provisions, for all but the most complex needs.
From September 2029, every child with SEND, not just those with EHCPs, will also be entitled to an individual support plan, though crucially these will not carry the same legal mandate as EHCPs provided.
The government claims these reforms are supported by an investment and delivery increase of nearly £8 billion.
The plans have been met with concern by many parents, however, who fear they will lose the legal backing they previously enjoyed in ensuring their child received the care they were legally entitled to.
It is the failure to deliver these plans that has cost local councils so much in fines and legal tribunals.
Thursday's statistics were coupled with a second release of quarterly tribunal figures, which showed the number of new cases of parents taking local authorities to court had again increased, as had the open court caseload.
