CYP Now - Ethnic Disproportionality in the Identification of Special Educational Needs

Researchers at the University of Oxford analysed data from the National Pupil Database for all pupils in England aged five to 16, between 2005 and 2016, to find out which ethnic groups were disproportionally represented in groups of children with SEN, and which types of SEN this applied to.

SUMMARY

A diagnosis of special educational needs (SEN) can help children access specialist resources and additional support, but there can also be negative consequences such as being limited to an inappropriate or narrow curriculum. US research has shown children from some ethnic groups are more likely to be identified as having SEN than those from other ethnic backgrounds but until now there have been few major UK-based studies.

The data showed moderate learning difficulties (MLD), where pupils may learn at a slower pace than their peers, was the most frequent type of SEN, with four per cent of pupils identified as having MLD in 2016. Social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) difficulties were identified in 2.8 per cent of pupils and autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) in 1.3 per cent.

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