Sept 3, 2024, British Dyslexia Assoc: The SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) crisis
Letter to the Secretary of State for Education
The BDA has joined other organisations working to support children and Young People with SEND, in writing to Bridget Phillipson, the Secretary of State for Education about the ‘SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) crisis’
The letter highlights that while the crisis is widely acknowledged, it is not necessarily understood in the same way by all parties. The statistics are well publicised:
A 72% increase in the number of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) since 2019.
A 283% increase in agreements to requests for Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments since 2015.
A 250% increase in appeals to the SEND Tribunal since 2015.
Over 20% of students recorded as ‘persistently absent’, likely related to emotionally-based school non-attendance.
An increase of 33,485 students attending alternative provision and special schools since 2015.
Increasing numbers of Local Authorities unable to fulfil their statutory SEND requirements and experiencing associated financial unsustainability.
17% of pupils in England identified as having SEND (January 2023), indicating one in six children and young people are unable to successfully access the curriculum without support or adjustments
But in order to address the crisis, we must understand the factors underpinning it and consider SEND as part of the wider education system.
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