Special schools cater for twice as many disadvantaged pupils

Nationally, 32.1 per cent of pupils in special schools are eligible for free school meals. But only 13.4 per cent of pupils in secondary schools and 16 per cent in nursery and primary schools fall into this category.

The proportion of disadvantaged pupils in special schools varies greatly across the country. In some constituencies up to 82 per cent of special school pupils are eligible for free school meals.

In 48 constituencies, more than half of children at special schools were eligible for free school meals.

John Bangs, head of education at the National Union of Teachers, said the evidence suggests a link between severe deprivation in the early years and learning difficulties in later life.

"Everything that happens in the first five years of a child's life is vital," he said. "Learning difficulties can be connected to poor diet and a lack of stimulation and socialisation."

Bangs added that initiatives such as Sure Start should be built upon to support the most vulnerable families.

"Complementing schools' efforts to enhance learning has to be a community and society response to support families that are dysfunctional, particularly in the early years," he said.

Tara Flood, director of the Alliance for Inclusive Education, claimed poorer families are forced to send their children to special schools, because challenging councils that are unwilling to cater for children in mainstream provision is costly.

She explained: "Finance is a big issue for families who don't have the money to fight the local authority if they don't want their child to go to a special school. More and more councils try to provide the least they can get away with."

Figures released last week in response to a separate parliamentary question show that pupils on free school meals are almost three times as likely to be persistent truants.

Of pupils eligible for free school meals, 9.3 per cent of boys and 9.2 per cent of girls were classed as persistent absentees. Of those not eligible, 3.1 per cent of boys and 3.3 per cent of girls fall into this group.