Jan 16, 2025, England's Special Educational Needs Crisis: A System in Desperate Need of Reform
England’s system for supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is faltering, with MPs describing it as a postcode lottery in dire need of funding and reform. The findings, presented by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), highlight a system that is failing families and placing unsustainable financial pressure on local councils.
In its critical report, the PAC reveals that thousands of children are being let down by inequities in the system. Families face significant struggles to access the essential support their children need, while councils are pushed towards financial ruin. Over the past nine years, the number of young people receiving SEN support in state schools has risen by 140,000, reaching 1.14 million. However, budgets have not kept pace with this growing demand, creating what MPs have called a "crisis."
For children with the most complex needs, education, health, and care (EHC) plans are a legal entitlement. Yet the number of these plans has surged by 140% to 576,000,
exacerbating the strain on local authorities. This increase in demand has led to escalating financial deficits. According to the Society of County Treasurers (SCT), SEND-related deficits among English councils have reached £4 billion [$4.9B] and are projected to grow to £5.9 billion [$7.2B] this year.
Cllr Roger Gough, spokesperson for children's social care at the County Councils Network, emphasized the urgency of addressing this crisis. "While government has committed to reform, it is vital that it is done quickly and correctly. Both councils and families can ill-afford to wait," he stated. Gough urged the government to implement a comprehensive reform package within the next year and to clarify its plans to address council deficits.
Luke Sibieta, a research fellow at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, pointed out the disconnect between funding and demand. "We've seen a rapid rise in the number of pupils with the most severe special needs over the last 6-7 years. Numbers have gone up by around 70%, and funding has increased by 60%, so it hasn’t met the rapid increase," he said. Sibieta added that this shortfall places significant pressure on mainstream school budgets, leaving little for other resources. . . .
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