It fails too many young people and places unsustainable pressure on families, schools and local authorities. A reformed, inclusive system requires adequate funding, proper support structures and policy choices that centre children’s rights and needs.
Key facts
- The current SEND system is unable to meet need, leaving many pupils without timely or appropriate support.
- Independent school placements and high-cost education, health and care plans (EHCPs) account for a growing share of spending.
- A dual-funding model, as proposed by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), would allow mainstream settings to build inclusion while EHCPs continue as needed.
- Mainstream schools cannot be expected to admit more SEND students without additional resources.
- Government focus on workforce upskilling and definitional work on inclusion will have limited impact without structural change.
- The NEU is campaigning for reforms that ensure mainstream schools have the capacity to support more SEND pupils effectively.
Key statistics
- 50% of pupils wait more than 20 weeks for an EHCP.
- 31% of local area SEND inspections (Ofsted/CQC) found widespread and/or systemic failings between Jan 2023 and Mar 2024.
- £4.6bn – Department for Education estimate of cumulative High Needs deficit by March 2026.
- £3.4bn – National Audit Office estimate of funding gap between forecast high-needs costs and current funding in 2027–28.
- Special schools, facing a 50% rise in pupil numbers, require an additional £485m (9%) to restore spending power.
Campaign asks
- Provide ringfenced SEN funding for every school, including a counsellor in every secondary school and guaranteed weekly access for primaries.
- Free SENDCOs from excessive bureaucracy and ensure they have the status and authority to lead inclusive practice.
- Reduce teacher contact time so staff can plan effectively for SEND pupils, work with specialists and support families.
- Reduce class sizes – no class should contain more than 30 pupils.
- Ensure any resourced provision attached to mainstream schools is appropriately staffed, is well-resourced and has access to specialists as needed.
- Ensure any Curriculum and Assessment reforms fully account for SEND learners and remove unnecessary content barriers.
- Replace SATs, Progress 8 and Attainment 8 with assessment approaches that recognise all pupils’ achievements.
- Give local authorities oversight of SEND provision in all schools and control of admissions policies.
- Introduce clear standards for independent special schools and address their disproportionate cost burden.