Official figures from the Department for Education (DfE, 2024) show that there are now 434,354 students in state schools in England with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) – up 11.6% year-on-year (45,183).
And there are now 1,238,851 students who have SEN but who do not have an EHCP – up 4.7% year-on-year (55,467).
It means that there are now 1,673,205 students in schools in England with SEN in 2023/24.
Last week, separate figures showed that the number of EHCPs across the 0 to 25 age range has increased by 11% year-on-year and now stands at 575,963. Furthermore, in 2023 there was a 21% rise in requests for EHCP assessments – up from 114,482 in 2022 to 138,242 last year (read our report here).
The latest figures show that the most common type of SEN for school students with an EHCP in 2023/24 is autism spectrum disorder (33%), while the most common needs for those on SEN support are speech, language and communication needs (25.6%), social, emotional and mental health needs (22.3%), and moderate learning difficulties (15.8%).
SEN support is provided for pupils who are identified as having a learning difficulty or a disability that requires extra or different help to that normally provided as part of the school’s usual curriculum offer. A pupil on SEN support will not have an EHCP.
The on-going increases in SEN numbers come amid a funding crisis for SEN provision in schools and local authorities.
Earlier this year the Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities Select Committee warned that high needs budget deficits across local authorities in England stand at £2.3bn and are set to rise to £3.6bn by March 2025.
The F40 group of local authorities, meanwhile, has estimated that an additional £4.6bn in funding will be required each year to meet the current demand for SEN support.
The DfE has increased high needs funding by £440m in 2024/25 to a total of £10.5bn, which is an increase of 60% since 2019/20. However, demand is outstripping supply. The increases in EHCP numbers have thrown many councils into funding turmoil.
Earlier this month, the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) said that SEN was one of three major crises in education that the next government must address.
Responding to the new figures this week, general secretary Paul Whiteman said: “Behind these figures are pupils who are in many cases being let down by a systemic SEN funding crisis, simply unable to access the support and education they deserve.
“Schools are facing a perfect storm in which funding to support children with SEN – whether or not they have an EHCP – has failed to keep pace with growing demand.
“Many schools are experiencing severe financial difficulties and need to use more and more of their funding each year to ensure pupils with SEN get the best possible support, and the £10,000 per-pupil funding received by special schools has not increased since it was introduced in 2013.
“Across the country, all types of school face a postcode lottery when it comes to securing additional money from local authorities for pupils with the greatest needs, with many councils themselves facing really difficult budget pressures and increasing numbers accumulating SEN funding deficits.
“School are experiencing challenges securing specialist support due to shortages of experts like educational psychologists and speech and language therapists, while parents are often forced to take local authorities to tribunal to get the place they want for their child due to a lack of capacity. Support is too often dictated by the resources available rather than by what children really need.
“It is vital the next government prioritises urgent action to address this crisis. That needs to start with action to write-off high-needs budget deficits, a ‘needs analysis’ of the funding required to support pupils with SEN in both mainstream and special schools, and a review of place planning, specialist places and admissions to ensure every child can attend the school best suited to meeting their long-term needs.”
- DfE: Academic year 2023/24: Special educational needs in England, June 2024: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england/2023-24