News

The groups of children at 'elevated risk' of having unidentified SEND

SEND SENCOs EHCPs SEND research
Several groups of children are at an “elevated risk” of having unidentified SEND and missing out on crucial support.
Inconsistent: Variation in how different schools identify SEND account for two-thirds of the differences between pupils who are picked up and those who are not, the EPI has found - Adobe Stock

A research report (Hutchinson et al, 2025) reveals that “inconsistencies” in how both primary and secondary schools approach the identification of SEND is a big factor in whether they get the support they need.

Furthermore, the study, which has been published by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) with funding from the Nuffield Foundation, identifies a number of factors that are associated with the likelihood that a student will have some kind of SEND.

Researchers matched the data of pupils in primary and secondary school to analyse variations in SEND identification to uncover which groups of children were most likely to need SEND support or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

Register now, read forever

Thank you for visiting SecEd and reading some of our content for professionals in secondary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.

What's included:

  • Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcast

  • New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday and Thursday

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here