Educational outcomes for SEND pupils have failed to improve over the last decade

~ Bruce Levitan

A new report by Isos Partnership commissioned by the County Councils Network and the Local Government Association was released on 25 July. The study concludes that the current system is not working for families, schools and councils alike. The report is called Towards an effective and financially sustainable approach to SEND in England, and highhlights a number of issues:

  • Half a million more children and young people are now identified as having special educational needs;
  • In seven of the last 10 years, more children with ECHPs have been placed in special schools compared to mainstream settings;
  • Higher rates of identification of SEND are not leading to better educational attainment;
  • This is despite expenditure by councils tripling over the course of a decade;
  • These rising costs on SEND have outpaced reform and funding from the previous government;
  • With these deficits currently held off councils’ budgets due to a temporary ‘statutory override’ councils face a financial cliff edge when this ends in March 2026.

You can download the full report from the County Councils Network website, here.