Schools lack resources needed to help keep children with SEND in school, meaning too many are leaving when it could be avoided, according to a new Ofsted report.
Ofsted’s 2024-25 annual report last week raised concerns over the number of children out of education entirely – which has soared by 19 per cent in the last year to an estimated 39,200.
A new thematic report published by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) today has shone a light on inconsistent support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), who are out of school or at risk of leaving.
The report acknowledged some examples of schools and services “working well together to help children with SEND remain in school” and supporting those not in school. But it also highlighted a string of issues “that should be addressed by national government or sector bodies”.
Ofsted chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver described the national picture as “worrying”.
“Too many children with SEND are out of school, which is deeply concerning.
“As well as missing out on the school experience, it also means they are out of sight of local services and don’t always receive the help and support they need. These children deserve better.”
Missed opportunities to keep children in school
Ofsted and the CQC focused on the topic during thematic visits carried out as part of area SEND inspections – visiting six local area partnerships (LAPs) and surveying more than 700 children, parents and workers.
Inspectors “consistently found that there are missed opportunities to identify children’s additional needs early enough and to put in place the right support for them to remain in full-time education”.
This was due to schools “not having enough capacity, resource or expertise”, inspectors were told.
They also heard that once needs are identified, “children often cannot access relevant health services before their needs escalate”. “As a result, too many children with SEND leave the school system when this could be avoided”.
Official data does not show how many children with SEND are out of school, but recent children’s commissioner research estimated one quarter of children going into home education received SEN support.
Schools not equipped to meet needs
Ofsted and CQC inspectors heard “not all schools are equipped to meet the needs of all their pupils” and “not all staff have the right training to support needs effectively or confidently”.
“This results in children’s needs escalating and leading to reduced attendance or to them leaving school.”
School leaders reported “a lack of capacity or resources to meet needs”, such as limited staffing, large classes sizes and no space for quiet areas.
Leaders also reported issues around securing appropriate transport for children with SEND and a lack of funds to adapt buildings.
Inconsistent oversight of children out of school
The quality of oversight authorities have over children not in school “varies considerably” by area, the report found.
Health partners “are often absent” from information-sharing between schools and LAs, and in some instances not all parties were informed when a child was no longer in school.
The report also found many children not in school experienced “long delays in accessing health support and assessments”.
Many services children with SEND rely on when in school – including mental health support, occupational therapy or speech and language therapy – “are no longer available once they leave”, said the report.
Instead, parents and carers are often left “to be the main driver in organising the right health provision for their child”, causing “significant strain”.
Recommendations
The report made a string of recommendations.
Among them is that the DfE “should prioritise working with LAPs to ensure that children’s emerging needs are consistently identified early and accurately so that more children with SEND can remain in school”.
The report added that in its forthcoming white paper on SEND, the DfE “should set a clear expectation that all schools and education settings should support children with SEND to remain in school full-time, when this is in their best interests”.
The report said NHS England and the DfE should provides LAPs with necessary resources and training so they can help ensure children’s needs are met.
The DfE should lead on developing guidance for the appropriate use of education other than at school (EOTAS) arrangements, the report added, while LAPs should establish “clear and robust processes for sharing information about children with SEND” who are not in school.
They should also ensure all children with SEND who are not in school “receive coordinated support to meet their education, health and social care needs”.
The report said this should, where possible, involve appointing a “lead professional” to help coordinate services “who knows the child and their family well”.
Government ‘tackling attendance head-on’
Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said schools “too often…lack the funding or resources required to consistently identify needs early and offer timely help” to children at risk of leaving school.
He said forthcoming SEND reforms must address this, and that “better oversight and coordination is needed between all services” to support children out of school.
Whiteman said the government’s planned register of children not in school “should help” and should be introduced “as soon as possible”.
A DfE spokesperson said: “School attendance remains one of the defining challenges for education, and we are tackling it head-on.
“That’s why we’re introducing a children not in school register through our landmark children’s wellbeing and schools bill, alongside removing barriers to attendance, including through increased mental health support in schools.
“We have launched the biggest national conversation on SEND in a generation alongside work already underway, including £740 million for more specialist places, earlier intervention for speech and language needs, and dedicated SEND leads in every best start family hub nationwide – widening access to support in every community.”
Your thoughts