Commenting on launch of the Government’s Schools White Paper and the announcement of specialist SEND support in every school and community, NFER Chief Executive, Carole Willis, said:
“Schools are facing unprecedented pressures and meaningful reform is urgently needed. Numbers of pupils with SEND have risen to more than 1.7 million in 2024/25, up from 1.2 million in 2015/16. The strategies set out in today’s White Paper have the potential to strengthen the system and support high quality education.
“Reforms to the SEND system must address long standing inequalities between schools, as we know that primary schools with the highest rates of pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) have, on average, six times the rate of pupils with EHCPs as those with the lowest rates. Given these inequalities, it is critical that the new system includes measures to incentivise equity and inclusion so that all pupils can get their needs supported locally.
“The teacher workforce already has challenges with a heavy workload, which has a knock-on effect on teacher retention. In this context, it is critical that proposed changes such as the introduction of the Individual Support Plan are adequately funded to ensure that further pressure on school staff is avoided. In addition, the Government will need to ensure it builds up the capacity in other experts to identify and support children's needs.”