(UK) 140% increase in SPED plans in 10 yrs because schools aren't 'inclusive'

May 27, 2025, Times: ‘Overreliance’ on ADHD diagnosis drives rise in pupil support plans 

A 140 per cent surge in Education, Health and Care Plans puts financial strain on local authorities, which are responsible for delivering the services

The rapid increase in statutory support plans for pupils with special educational needs is being driven by an “overreliance” on diagnoses such as ADHD, experts warn.

In the past decade, the number of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) — statutory documents that outline a child’s needs and the support they are entitled to — has soared by 140 per cent.

This rise is placing increasing financial strain on local authorities, which are responsible for delivering the services.

Amanda Allard, director of the Council for Disabled Children, said the surge in EHCPs reflected a “complex picture” linked to systemic failures in both education and healthcare.

She described a “perfect storm” of factors, including under-resourced schools and inadequate classroom help, which often compel parents to pursue formal diagnoses. “There are a large number of teachers who aren’t confident about supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities,” Allard said.

 “We’ve had a school system that, for the last ten years, hasn’t been incentivised to be inclusive, and has been able to offload and exclude children. It’s a combination of the lack of inclusivity, of parents being told that the school can’t meet their child’s needs and the only way of fixing that is to get a diagnosis.”

More parents are pursuing formal diagnosis for children with special educational needs

Allard explained that parents frequently report trying to explain their child’s struggles with attention or the need for quiet time, only to have schools dismiss these concerns until a formal diagnosis is provided. “You get the help when you get the label,” she said.

The rise in pupils with EHCPs has been driven by three types of needs in particular: autism spectrum disorder; social, emotional and mental health needs (including ADHD, a neurodevelopmental disorder); and speech, language and communication needs.

As a part of Labour’s reforms, mainstream schools are expected to receive additional funding to address the growing gaps in provision for pupils with special educational needs or disabilities.

Allard explained that schools may increasingly rely on EHCPs as a fast-track way to acquire this money.

She added: “The levers in the system have led to this and you have a perfect storm. To qualify for an EHCP, a child’s learning needs must be shown to exceed what is normally provided in that setting. But if a school isn’t inclusive, this could apply to a large proportion of pupils.”

Allard said that insufficient emphasis is placed on early childhood support in the NHS and in education, meaning that children miss out on low-level support that could make a significant difference.

“We haven’t taken childhood seriously enough. If you look at the focus that the NHS give to children, they don’t. You can understand why — driven by clinical priority and we’ve got an ageing population, that’s where the money gets eaten up.

“What that means is that children aren’t getting access to low-level support that will make them school-ready. If we don’t do that for children, they will start on the back foot.”

Dr Sarah Boss, clinical director of The Balance, a private mental health clinic, said that ADHD diagnoses often peak at about the age of ten, when academic demands increase.

She called for greater pressure on mainstream schools to create more inclusive learning environments. “We should not cling to an educational system designed over a century ago,” she said. “Why must children sit for most of the day? There should be more outlets for energy.

“Intermediary professionals — between schools and families — should routinely assess children’s sleep, physical activity, and nutrition, factors that heavily influence behaviour and attention but are rarely addressed in schools. Our education system must evolve to support the full spectrum of children’s developmental and emotional needs.”