Schools Week has reported on an interim study by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) into how pupils with special educational needs and disabilities are spread across England's schools. The short version: very unevenly, and the gap is growing.
Primary schools in the top quartile for Education, Health and Care Plans had on average six times as many pupils with plans as those in the lowest quartile, 7% of pupils compared with 1%. That works out at around 17 pupils per school in the highest group against just three in the lowest, and the gap has widened since 2018-19. Secondary schools show a similar pattern. Schools carrying the highest numbers are concentrated in the most deprived areas, and council officers interviewed for the study said some schools were now "at breaking point". The NFER is urging government to reform the SEND system to promote greater consistency and equity, and to support the schools that are doing the inclusive work rather than penalising them.
What this means for families
A system under this much strain moves slowly. Waiting lists for statutory assessment are long, school SEND budgets are stretched, and how much support your child's school can offer increasingly depends on how many other children there need it too. That is not a reason to lose hope, but it is a reason not to wait passively. A clear, independent picture of your child's strengths and difficulties gives their school something concrete to act on, and specialist 1-to-1 intervention can start straight away, without waiting for a plan.