Large Print - 5th Report - Solving the SEND Crisis

Key findings

• SEND identification has risen from 1.3 million to 1.7 million since 2014; EHC plans doubled from 240,183 to 638,745 between 2015–2025, with only 46.4% issued within statutory 20-week timeframe in 2024.
• Lack of national standards for ordinarily available provision and SEN support creates inconsistent quality and drives families toward costly specialist placements and independent schools (728 independent special schools in 2024, up from 477 in 2018).
• Workforce shortages in educational psychologists, speech/language therapists, and SENCOs cause assessment delays and limit specialist access; Initial Teacher Training and continuing professional development lack mandatory SEND content.
• Local authority SEND deficits and inadequate school funding create unsustainable pressure; statutory override extended to March 2028, but long-term funding strategy absent.
• Post-16 support 'cliff edge' at age 16; young people with EHC plans show declining outcomes (30% achieve Level 2 qualifications by age 19, down from 37% in 2014/15); Maths/English GCSE resit policy disproportionately harms SEND students.

Recommendations

• Establish national standards and statutory requirements for ordinarily available provision and SEN support, including adequate resourcing, specialist staff access, equipment, and inclusive physical environments.
• Integrate mandatory SEND content into Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework; make continued professional development on SEND mandatory for all school staff.
• Develop a dedicated SEND workforce plan with Department of Health and Social Care to address shortages in educational psychologists, speech/language therapists, and other allied health professionals.
• Introduce clear statutory duties for health and social care services on SEND; appoint a dedicated national SEND lead in the Department of Health and Social Care.
• Establish long-term funding strategy with HM Treasury and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to address local authority SEND deficits and ensure adequate school funding.
• Implement longer funding cycles and comprehensive data collection to support coordinated capacity planning; expand specialist school places to reduce reliance on out-of-area and independent placements.
• Ensure universal rollout of Early Language Support for Every Child (ELSEC) and Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) programmes; integrate SEND inclusivity into Best Start for Life initiative.
• Broaden post-16 pathways beyond academic qualifications and apprenticeships; rework Maths and English GCSE resit policy with greater flexibility for young people with SEND.
• Treat parents and carers as genuine partners in their child's education; provide targeted training on child development and SEND law for local authority staff.
• Reform accountability mechanisms so Ofsted inspections and Area SEND inspections hold mainstream schools accountable for inclusive practice; strengthen Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman oversight.

Key actors

Helen Hayes (Education Committee Chair), Department for Education, Susan Acland-Hood (Permanent Secretary, DfE), Catherine McKinnell MP (former Minister of State for School Standards), Department of Health and Social Care, Local authorities, County Councils Network, National Association for Special Educational Needs (Nasen)