A new EEF Guidance Report has been published “Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools”
This guidance is designed to help you support pupils with SEND in mainstream schools. Its five recommendations are drawn from the evidence base. They provide a starting point to review your current approach, alongside practical ideas you can implement.
FOR: Headteachers; Senior Leaders; SENDCos; Teachers
“Introduction
Pupils with SEND have the greatest need for excellent teaching and are entitled to provision that supports achievement at, and enjoyment of, school. At the end of primary school, the attainment gap between pupils with identified SEND and their peers has been, on average, more than twice as wide as the gap between pupils eligible for FSM and their peers for several years. At the end of secondary school, the attainment gap between pupils with identified SEND and their peers has been, on average, approximately one and a half times as wide as the gap between pupils eligible for FSM and their peers for several years. Pupils with identified SEND are approximately twice as likely to be eligible for FSM as their peers without identified SEND.
This page – built on the foundations of our guidance – also signposts to our suite of additional resources to help you support your pupils with SEND.” (EEF, May 2025)
You can access the article and the EEF Guidance report here: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/guidance-reports/send
The current state of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) education in UK schools
In a recent article published for Schools Week they proclaim: “‘If SEND isn’t fixed now – it will become so broken and big, it never gets resolved’, says one source. But parents are already ‘panicked’.” But what are the current issues and can they be resolved?
The number of pupils identified with SEND has been increasing. In January 2024, around 1.7 million school pupils in England had identified SEND (18% of all pupils). Of these, approximately 1.2 million received SEN Support, and 0.4 million had EHCPs. The most common primary need for those with EHCPs is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), while for those receiving SEN support, it is Speech, Language and Communication Needs.
While high-needs funding has increased, it has not kept pace with the rising demand for SEND services. Local authorities face significant financial deficits due to high-needs spending exceeding allocated budgets. Schools also report that while they receive delegated funding for SEND, it is often insufficient to meet the needs of all their students requiring support. The government has allocated £740 million to create 10,000 new SEND school places, particularly within mainstream schools, and a further £1 billion for 44,500 mainstream places by 2028.
Special schools are increasingly oversubscribed. In 2023-2024, secondary special schools in England had 8,000 more pupils than available places, with about two-thirds operating at or over capacity. The quality and availability of SEND support can vary significantly between different schools and local authorities, leading to concerns about a “postcode lottery” for SEND provision. Identification of SEND also varies, with pupils in academies sometimes less likely to be formally identified. Many local authorities struggle to issue EHCPs within the statutory 20-week timeframe, leading to delays in children receiving the necessary support. The government published its SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan in March 2023, aiming for a more unified system with national standards and local partnerships.
Teachers and especially Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) report unmanageable workloads, which hinders their ability to effectively support SEND pupils. Families often find the SEND system complex and adversarial, with a high percentage of SEND tribunal cases being found wholly or partly in favour of parents. Ofsted has identified SEND as a major issue and is adapting its inspection framework to better recognise inclusive practices in schools.
While there is a clear commitment to supporting children with SEND in UK schools, the system currently faces significant challenges related to funding, capacity, and consistency. Recent initiatives aim to address these issues, but the impact of these reforms is yet to be fully seen. The focus is increasingly on early identification, inclusive practices within mainstream schools, and better support for families navigating the system.
What are your views? Get in touch with our team and let us know: support@amhie.com
- Dickens, John “SEND reforms: the backlash begins” Schools Week 2025. https://schoolsweek.co.uk/fierce-send-backlash-begins-as-dfe-sets-sights-on-ehcps-reform/
- Department for Education (DfE) Statistics: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-special-educational-needs-sen Published 2013, last updated 20th June 2024.
- ASCL. “Summary of DfE SEND data”. June 2024 Association of School and College Leaders. https://www.ascl.org.uk/Help-and-Advice/Inclusion/SEND/Summary-of-June-2024-DfE-SEND-data
- GOV.UK “The Children and Families Act 2014” https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/6/contents
- GOV.UK “SEND Code of Practice” Published 2014, last updated September 2024. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25
- Education Policy Institute. “Annual Report 2024: SEND” https://epi.org.uk/annual-report-2024-send-2/
- Education Policy Institute. “Identifying SEND” https://epi.org.uk/publications-and-research/identifying-send-2/