Commenting on the school capacity data published today which shows that two thirds of special schools are operating over-capacity, Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“Almost a quarter of secondary schools (23%) are over capacity, the highest level since 2010/11. Some 17% of primary schools are also over capacity, showing no improvement since 2020/21 despite all the talk of falling rolls. These figures only refer to the capacity of each school and do not even consider the staffing crisis within schools, where we know recruitment targets are missed year after year. Teachers are quitting before retirement at a higher rate than any time on comparable record.
“Today's statistics also reveal a crisis in special needs provision in English schools. There is not enough capacity in state special schools and so two thirds are over capacity. In addition, 21,000 pupils are placed in independent special schools. Independent special schools charge more than twice as much as state special schools and last year local authorities spent £2bn on this provision. The Government must allow local authorities to open special schools where they need them, make the school system more inclusive, and stop penalising schools that support inclusion and provide greater resources for inclusion in mainstream schools.”