A study from the Education Policy Institute (EPI), funded by the Nuffield Foundation, highlights significant inconsistencies in how children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) across England are identified and supported.
-
Blog: Rebalancing the High Needs system – what role can the SEND review play?
-
Analysis: The good and the bad of SEND reforms
Children living in the most disadvantaged areas of the country are less likely to be formally recognised as having SEND than similar pupils in more affluent areas, highlighting how there is a “rationing of support” in many areas of high need, research shows.
The report also notes that many vulnerable pupils are more likely to be subject to SEND “under-identification”.
Those who often move schools and those frequently out of school, along with children who have suffered abuse or neglect, are all shown to have a reduced chance of being identified with SEND compared with otherwise similar children.
The findings also show that pupils attending academy schools are less likely to be identified with SEND compared to other similar pupils.
Over a million children are currently registered as having special educational needs in England – with as many four in 10 of all pupils recorded as having SEND at some point during their time at school.
In response to the report, the EPI is calling for improvements in assessing SEND within schools and increased specialist training and support for teachers and school leaders.
It is also urging the government to create a national framework setting out minimum standards of support for children with SEND in mainstream schools and increase focus in primary schools on the role of children’s personal, social and emotional development.
A SEND funding system that is far more responsive to pupils’ needs is also necessary, researchers say.
Jo Hutchinson, director of social mobility and vulnerable learners at the Education Policy Institute (EPI), said: “We find that the level of support for children with SEND is highly variable across the country and is very much dependent on which school a child goes to, rather than actual need.
“While access to SEND support was already very unequal, the pandemic is very likely to have resulted in more children falling through the cracks or facing long waits for support. We need to significantly improve how we identify pupils with SEND, so that we can deliver consistently for families and ensure that no child is denied the support that they need.”
Richard Cramer, chief executive of charity Sense, added: “As we move out of lockdown, we want to see a comprehensive recovery plan that recognises the impact of a lack of support on families of children with SEND. This must be backed up with appropriate resources and funding to ensure every child receives the right care and support to meet their needs.”
Tim Nicholls, head of policy and public affairs at the National Autistic Society, branded the report “shocking” and said: “Families end up having to fight - sometimes at tribunal - just to get their son or daughter into the right school or for a little additional support. This is gruelling, especially on top of the often unbearable pressures families already face.
"Schools and councils must work together to make sure they're able to meet all autistic children’s needs.
"But ultimately the government needs to address the longstanding problems in the education system in its upcoming national autism strategy and SEND Review.”
