Government to announce billions in SEND funding with overhaul due to be unveiled

SEND in figures – and why people say the system needs changepublished at 08:34 GMT

08:34 GMT

Just over 1.7 million (about one in five) pupils in England’s schools receive support for special educational needs.

As of January last year, 639,000 young people up to the age of 25 had education, health and care plans (EHCPs) in England – the number has more than doubled in a decade.

Most of that increase has been driven by a rise in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses. The condition is now listed as the primary need in a third of all EHCPs.

The process for parents and children to get an EHCP is also experiencing challenges – it can be lengthy, with fewer than half issued within the 20 week legal deadline in 2024.

There was also a record number of tribunal cases in 2024/25, where parents disagreed with a refusal to offer support, or were challenging the level of support offered.

Overall spending on SEND has risen by two-thirds in the past decade, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).

In 2024 the National Audit Office warned the system was “financially unsustainable” for councils and yet not delivering better outcomes for children, calling it “broken”.