Special Needs
The site highlights the statistics which are available about special needs provision in England.
A regular and comprehensive update on special needs is available online from the DCSF at:
Teachernet: Special educational needs and disability
The most useful document for an overview of the statistics for SEN is the Statistical First Release published in June 2009.
Special Educational Needs in England: January 2009
This relates to data collected from schools and local authorities in the previous January.
2.7 per cent of pupils across all schools in England had statements of SEN; this was slightly lower than 2008. 17.8 per cent of pupils across all schools had SEN without statements. This is an increase of 0.6 percentage points from 2008.
In January 2009 around 17 in every 1,000 pupils of White ethnic origin had statements of SEN in mainstream primary schools. The figure is similar for mixed pupils but for Black pupils the figure is around 20 in every 1,000. In secondary schools 20 in every 1,000 pupils of White ethnic origin had statements of SEN. This figure is similar to those for both Black and Mixed pupils. The most prevalent type of primary need amongst pupils with statements of SEN in primary schools was speech, language and communication needs (24.0 per cent); in secondary schools it was moderate learning difficulty (21.7 per cent) and in special schools, severe learning difficulty (23.6 per cent).
The SFR shows differences in statementing relating to gender, with more boys with SEN but without statements than girls in both primary and secondary. The highest rate of children with SEN but without statements is children aged 8 to 9 and with statements at 14. The proportion of pupils with SEN and eligible for free school meals is higher than those without SEN.
Legislation and funding
The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (SENDA) 2001 strengthened the rights of children with SEN to be educated in mainstream schools. The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 2005 places requirements and duties on schools and local authorities not to treat disabled pupils less favourably than non-disabled pupils. Schools are required to produce a Disability Equality Scheme to set out action to do that.
The Code of Practice introduced in January 2002 introduced levels of action as: school/early years action (with three levels); school/early years action plus; and statements.
Trends
An analysis by the DCSF of trends in special needs from 1994 to 2008 can be found at:
Special Educational Needs in England: January 2009
This section also outlines the stages in identification of special needs.
Reports
In October 2007 the Education and Skills Select Committee (now the Children, Schools and Families Committee) produced a report on the assessment and funding of special educational needs.
Education and Skills – Tenth Report
This report built on a previous select committee report on special needs in July 2006.
The Government responded to the 2007 report in January 2008,
Government's response to the Tenth Report
referring to an OFSTED report on special educational needs provision planned for 2009.
These reports highlighted the concern that many parents have about the assessment of their children’s special needs.
A report produced in July 2008 was the Bercow review on the use of resources in the provision of services for children and young people with speech, language and communication difficulties to improve their outcomes.
Research for the Bercow Review
The review highlighted the variation between local authorities in approach, definitions fo the SEN category of SLCN, i.e. speech,language and communication needs. It recommended that there should be national criteria, detailed guidance, better monitoring and data collection.
In June 2009 Sir Jim Rose published his report which the DCSF had commissioned on dyslexia:
Identifying and Teaching Children and Young People with Dyslexia
A major report during 2009 was the Lamb Inquiry, which was established as part of the Government’s response to the House of Commons Education and Skills Committee Report. The Lamb Inquiry, under the chairmanship of Brian Lamb, the Chair of the Special Educational Consortium, investigated a range of ways in which parental confidence in the SEN assessment process might be improved. An extensive section on the DCSF website is devoted to the Lamb report and research arising from it.
The report was published in April 2009. In September, the Secretary of State issued a response, largely accepting the recommendations.
DCSF Press Release on Government response to Lamb Inquiry
A Parliamentary Answer listed the appeals against placement made by parents in different local authorities.
November 2009