The government has pledged to investigate the reasons for increasing demand for SEND support and provide a “costed” plan for reforming the system later this year.
The Department for Education has responded to recommendations from the Public Accounts Committee.
In its report, the committee concluded the DfE’s ability to reform the system is “hindered by a lack of data, targets and a clear, costed plan”.
It also called on the department to “urgently improve its data, and then use this information to develop a new fully costed plan for improving the SEN system, with concrete actions, and clear interdependencies, alongside metrics to measure outcomes”.
The government agreed, saying it had already “taken steps to improve its data”. This included “more detailed, granular analysis of EHC plans and the processes associated with it, providing deeper insights into specific patterns and trends to support decision-making.
“The government intends to set out plans for reforming the SEND system in further detail later this year.
“This will be underpinned by its objective to ensure local authorities can deliver high quality services for children and young people with SEND in a financially sustainable way.”
Details coming on council deficits
The DfE has also given itself a deadline of this summer to meet a recommendation to “urgently involve local authorities in conversations to develop a fair and appropriate solution for when the statutory override ends in March 2026”.
The statutory override is a mechanism that keeps SEND deficits off councils’ balance sheets, effectively preventing them from going bankrupt.
The DfE said it was was “unable to set out plans by March 2025” as requested by the committee, but “intends to set out plans for reforming the SEND system in further detail in 2025”.
“This will include details of how the government will support local authorities to deal with their historic and accruing deficits and any transition period from the current SEND system to the reformed system.
“This will inform any decision to remove the statutory override. It will be underpinned by our objective to ensure local authorities can deliver high quality services for children and young people with SEND in a financially sustainable way. It will continue to work with the sector on the detail of our approach.”
Understand why demand has soared
The committee also warned in its report that “without fully understanding why demand for support has increased, the department’s ability to provide value for money is undermined.
It recommended that, within six months, the department “must work with the DHSC to better understand the reasons for increasing and changed demand for SEN support”.
It must then “set out how it will provide support more efficiently, such as through group support, identifying needs earlier and ensuring special schools reflect value for money”.
The government said it agreed with the recommendation, and “while it cannot commit to setting out plans in the next six months, it will set out further detail later this year”.
The DfE said it was already collaborating with the health department to “address the increased pressure on SEN support in schools.
“Over the last decade there has been an increase in identified need internationally. However, in England, there has been a much steeper rise in SEND that attracts a statutory plan than in some similar countries.”
The department “will continue to work with DHSC to provide early and effective support to meet need and prevent these needs from escalating”.
DfE agrees to set out what pupils should ‘expect’
The committee also called on the DfE to within six months “set out the provision which children with SEN support should expect.
“Alongside this, they should set out what inclusive education means and looks like, and the level of resourcing both to ensure the support for children with SEN and the maintenance of educational provision for other children in the same setting.
“The department should also set out how inclusive education will be achieved including through earlier identification of SEN, and improved teacher training and continuous development, and how schools will be held to account.”
Again, the government agreed, saying it recognised the “urgent nature of these matters”.
“While it cannot commit to setting out plans in the next six months, it will set out further detail later this year.
The department “recognises its role in clarifying expectations for inclusive provision in mainstream settings and supporting early intervention to prevent unmet needs from escalating and helping children and young people to achieve their goals alongside their peers.
“The department agrees that resourcing support for early intervention to help secure the right support for a child or young person without the need for an EHC plan, is crucial to prevent needs escalating.”
The levels of children diagnosed with SEND of a ‘moderate’ nature have ballooned because children who could cope with the previous system cannot cope with this one (post 2014). An overcrowded curriculum, full of outcomes that children are not developmentally ready for, leaves children with no room to breathe. There is less time for fun and creativity. Children don’t have more moderate SEND than they did previously, it’s just more obvious now.
The amount of very high levels of need, however, has risen. I think this is due to parents having children later in life, and I have a feeling it could be due to the increase of ultra processed food.
Demand has increased because targets are consistently above children’s developmental norms. Meaning many can’t keep up.
As long as the focus is attendance at all cost
Displaying beurotypical norms
Ie active listening lovely lining up silence still uniforms those with neurodiversity are never going to manage. Inflexible systems force parents to fight for reasonable adjustments effectively increasing delays in learning and trauma during protracted battles between families schools and Las
Maybe stop with the rainy cloud in reception shaming those who can’t sit still and listen before they even find the toilets and really look at how the school system systematically punishes SEND children.