(UK) Brighton/Hove: 26.1% of students have special needs

July 10, 2026, Brighton and Hove City Council:  Boosting local support for children with special educational needs and disabilities

At the Cabinet meeting on Thursday 16 July, councillors will discuss a plan to improve local support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).  

The SEND Sufficiency Plan 2026 to 2029 sets out our ambition for ensuring appropriate specialist education places in mainstream schools for children and young people with SEND over the next 3 years and proposes a programme of new and expanded provision to address gaps in capacity.  

The draft plan aims to guide the next 3 years of delivery through a phased programme of new specialist support bases, targeted support in mainstream schools and refocusing the city's specialist alternative provision (AP).  . . .

The plan has been developed jointly with representatives from a number of key partners, across early years, primary and secondary education settings and the Parent Carer Council (PaCC).  

SEND in Brighton & Hove 

In January 2026, 26.1% of pupils in Brighton & Hove were identified as having SEND, while 6.4% of have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and 19.7% of students receive SEND support.  . . .

We recently submitted a 3-year Local SEND Reform Plan to the Department for Education (DfE) in response to the Schools White Paper highlighting how we intend to strengthen support for children and young people with SEND in Brighton & Hove.  

Next steps 

If Cabinet agree the programme of new and expanded provision set out in the draft SEND Sufficiency Plan 2026–2029, individual proposals which require statutory processes will be subject to separate decisions and public consultation in due course.