Increase in children receiving SEN support, DfE figures show
Fiona Simpson
Thursday, June 16, 2022
The number of children receiving support in school for special educational needs (SEN) has increased by 77,000 over the last year, new figures from the Department for Education show.
The DfE’s report Special educational needs in England looks at the number of children receiving SEN support both with and without education, health and care plans (EHCP) during the 2021/22 academic year.
The figures reveal a 4.3 per cent jump in the number of children, across all education settings, receiving SEN support compared with the previous school year.
-
Legal Update: SEND Review and green paper
-
Cautious welcome for SEND vision but campaigners remain sceptical
There are now 1,129,843 children receiving support for SEN at school, nursery or in a pupil referral unit, according to figures.
DfE describes this increase as a “continuing trend” since 2016, noting that “the most common type of need for those with SEN support is speech, language and communication needs.”
“The primary need identified for 262,400 pupils was speech, language and communication needs. This is followed by social, emotional and mental health needs for 208,900 pupils and moderate learning difficulty for 197,400 pupils,” it states.
The report adds that the number of children with EHCPs has increased “across all school types except state-funded nurseries”.
Key statistics show that:
-
In primary, 2.3 per cent of pupils have an EHC plan and 13.0 per cent have SEN support
-
In secondary, 2.2 per cent of pupils have an EHC plan and 11.9 cent have SEN support
-
In pupil referral units (PRUs), 28.2 per cent have an EHC plan and 54 per cent have SEN support
“The largest increase in EHCPs was in primary, with an additional 10,200 pupils with plans since 2021,” according to the report.
Children who are eligible for free school meals are more likely to receive SEN support or to have an EHCP than peers who do not receive free school meals, the report adds.
Some 39.7 per cent of pupils with an EHC plan and 36.4 per cent of pupils with SEN support are currently eligible for free school meals compared with 22.5 per cent of all pupils in schools.
The proportion of pupils receiving SEN support who are eligible for free school meals has increased from 26.3 per cent to 36.4 per cent since 2016, figures show.
The statistics come days after DfE announced a consultation on timescales around EHCPs.
It is also currently running a wider consultation on recommendations in its recently published SEND Review which closes on 22 July.