An SEN expert has raised concerns about the sharp drop in the numbers of children registered as having special needs – and the impact this might be having on the families affected.
Helen Curran, senior lecturer in SEN at Bath Spa University, is raising questions over what exactly has happened to the group of pupils that are no longer identified as having SEN.
It comes as snapshot research by Ms Curran revealed that 63 per cent of SENCOs said that the number of children on their school’s SEN and disabilities register had fallen as a result of the government’s SEN reforms.
The SEN reforms, introduced in September 2014, saw a new “SEN Support” category introduced for the identification of pupils with less severe forms of need. This replaced the School Action and School Action Plus categories, which had previously signalled if pupils needed extra help.
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