The increase in the number of children receiving support for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) over the last decade has led to an £3.5 billion increase in school spending, according to a new report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
It says that the current funding system is failing to take into account the extent of increases in the number of pupils with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) in recent years.
Across primary and secondary schools, the number of children receiving EHC plans has risen from 2.8% to 4.3% of all pupils – a 50% increase since 2016 and 60% increase in the absolute number of pupils.
The report found that while the high-needs budget accounts for just 15% of total school spending, a £3.5 billion increase in spending since 2015 has by itself taken up almost half of the total increase in school spending over that period.
It warns that given the extent of the pressures, it should be a major priority to find better ways to meet needs in an effective manner and ensure the system is financially sustainable. It is not at all clear that the current system meets these criteria.
“This was mostly driven by a near-doubling in the numbers of pupils with autistic spectrum disorders, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health needs. This has placed huge pressure on school spending,” said the IFS.
Much of the rise came during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, with around 95,000 more pupils receiving an EHC plan in the 2022/23 academic year than three years earlier. The increase over the last few years has been greater among those from less disadvantaged backgrounds.
The report said that the disproportionate increase among those from less disadvantaged backgrounds reflects, in part, efforts by schools and local authorities to ration support in a bid to hold down costs.
The number of appeals to SEND tribunals – which are almost exclusively about EHC plans – has almost trebled to over 14,000 per year. Despite this growth, tribunal appeals now have a 98% success rate – meaning that many families and children who meet the criteria for support are initially being turned down.
It added: “In turn, this means that families with the time, information and resources to pursue an appeal on their child’s EHC assessment are more likely to secure a plan. Children from more disadvantaged groups, who might have less ability to appeal, may well have experienced a similar increase in need for additional support, which is not being met because these children are not able to access EHC plans.”
