Children in London with special educational needs and disabilities are being failed, finds new report

Children in London with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) are being failed by a lack of funding for schools, leading to a shortage of specialist support and a widening gap in outcomes between pupils, a new report has warned.

The research commissioned by London Councils — the capital’s local government association — found that children with Send currently make up just over 17 percent of the city’s pupil population, an increase of three percentage points since 2016.

With this growth has come a “perfect storm of increasing pressure for schools, coupled with constraints on local authority finances”, which “have left schools struggling to be able to create a supportive environment for all pupils”, according to the report.

In a recommendation to the Government, it said: “More funding would help to ensure the supply of sufficient specialist support for schools and families, reduce waiting lists, and ensure that decisions can be made with inclusion, rather than budgets, as their driving factor.”

The Government has blamed the situation on the inheritance it received from the previous Conservative administration, and said that while it is “determined to rebuild families’ confidence in a system so many rely on”, the reforms that parents are “crying out for” will “take time”.

The report set out how, to keep up with the growing need for specialist Send provision, “special schools are having to increase their number of places, in many cases working beyond their intended capacity”.

It pointed out that the number of young people in London who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) attending state-funded special schools has risen by 55 percent, from 13,700 in 2016 to 21,200 as of January 2024.

“However, across this same time period, the number of state-funded special schools in London has only increased by 16 percent, from 138 to 160 schools,” the report warned. “This has led to an increase in the average number of pupils per special school from 99 in 2016 to 132 in 2024.”

The research, carried out by Mime Consulting, also found that the lack of resources is leading to a widening gap in outcomes between pupils.

“While pupils with SEND in London tend to have stronger attainment, attendance and exclusions outcomes compared to the England averages for pupils with Send, there is a large and often growing gap in outcomes compared to their peers with no Send,” it said.

Councillor Ian Edwards, London Councils’ executive member for children and young people, said: “This report shows the clear benefits that inclusion in schools can have for both children with and without Send. Currently, school leaders and London boroughs show commitment to inclusion, but in practice they are not always able to deliver.

“This has to change, and we need all education partners and Government to come on board to support schools to move towards a genuinely inclusive education model.”

Edwards, who also serves as leader of Tory-run Hillingdon Council, said: “We’re pleased to see the Government taking steps, committing in last week’s Budget to spend an additional £1bn to help with the underfunding of Send as well as promising to reform the Send system. We look forward to shaping those reforms with national Government.

“With the number of pupils with Send growing nationally, increasing by 27 percent from January 2019 to January 2024 and reaching 1.7 million pupils across England, we must take steps now to ensure all children in London and across the country get access to an excellent education.”

Responding, a Department for Education spokesperson said: “The system we inherited has been neglected to the point of crisis, with children and families with Send being failed on every measure.

“Every child and young person deserves the best life chances and the opportunity to achieve and thrive, which is why we announced a significant £1bn investment in the Send system in the budget.

“We are determined to rebuild families’ confidence in a system so many rely on. The reform families are crying out for will take time, but with a greater focus on mainstream provision and more early intervention, we will deliver the change that is so desperately needed.”

Report: Inclusion in London’s Schools.