Support for pupils with special educational needs is ‘erratic’ and ‘unequal’

Parents of children with more complex needs have long claimed that the support offered by local authorities is insufficient and differs markedly from place to place.

Now, for the first time, data analysis from Education Policy Institute (EPI), funded by the Nuffield Foundation, provides evidence at a national level to support claims of disjointed and unequal support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). 

The research found that there are ‘deeply concerning’ inconsistencies in how in children with SEND in England are identified and supported.

It shows that access to support is decided by a postcode lottery, with the chances of receiving SEND support from the school or from the local authority largely dictated by the school that a child attends, rather than their individual circumstances.

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.

The report also shows that many vulnerable pupils are more likely to be subject to SEND ‘under-identification’. Those moving 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.

David Laws, executive chairman of the EPI said, ‘This report exposes the erratic and unequal way in which support for pupils with special educational needs is provided.

‘It is especially concerning that many of the most disadvantaged children with unstable home lives are less likely to access support for more complex learning needs. With the pandemic acting as a further barrier to assessing children’s needs, the Government must drastically improve its efforts to ensure that it is reaching the most vulnerable children in society.’

Inconsistencies