The Department for Education (DfE) in England faces mounting pressure to establish national standards for baseline special educational needs and disabilities (Send) provision in schools, following a comprehensive report by the Commons Education Select Committee. The committee’s report, titled Solving the Send Crisis, calls for statutory requirements that set out minimum resources, expertise, and equipment all schools must provide as part of their Send support offer. This move aims to address the widely acknowledged inconsistencies in provision, which MPs describe as “unacceptable” and causing deeply inequitable experiences for children with Send.

The committee recommends that every school should have at least one senior leadership team member qualified in Send, with all headteachers expected to obtain a Send-specific qualification within four years. Helen Hayes, chairwoman of the committee, emphasised to the PA news agency the need for a standardised, national framework to ensure children can expect consistent support before an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is required, which would increase both confidence and accountability across the system. She stressed that improving everyday adjustments in mainstream schools could reduce the desperate struggle to obtain EHCPs, while also helping to stabilise the financial challenges local authorities face.

The demand for EHCPs — legal documents detailing the support a child needs — has surged dramatically over recent years. DfE figures show that the total number of EHCPs in England has risen from 353,995 in 2019 to around 638,745 in 2025, placing unprecedented strain on local authorities and Send services. Further DfE statistics reveal that nearly 1.7 million pupils in England now have special educational needs, with 434,354 holding EHCPs as of 2024, representing 4.8% of the school population. This increase underscores the growing necessity for well-funded, inclusive Send provision in mainstream education.

Despite this growing demand, there are significant shortages in special school places, particularly at the secondary level. In the 2023-2024 academic year, there were 8,000 more secondary pupils requiring special school places than were available, a 25% rise in just one year. Most special schools were operating at or above capacity, even after a government increase of 5,000 special school places. To respond, the government has announced a £740 million investment to create 10,000 new Send places within mainstream schools, part of broader efforts to foster inclusion.

In line with this, the DfE signals a shift towards integrating more children with Send into mainstream education, aiming for a more inclusive approach. However, the committee criticises the current system for lacking a clear definition of what inclusive education means and urges the government to publish a definitive statement within three months. It notes that the system currently treats Send needs on a case-by-case basis as an add-on to mainstream provision rather than a fundamental part of it, which is unsustainable given current levels of demand.

The committee also expressed concerns that proposals in the forthcoming Schools White Paper could risk cutting back on EHCP entitlements. Helen Hayes firmly stated that the entitlement to EHCPs must remain unchanged, with no raising of thresholds, warning that any such reforms would undermine accountability. She highlighted that EHCPs are currently the only statutory part of the system that ensures some level of trust and confidence from children and parents, a confidence that is otherwise lacking.

To bolster mainstream support, the committee recommends mandatory professional development on Send for all mainstream teachers and calls for the SEND funding formula—currently around £6,000 per pupil in mainstream schools—to be increased annually in line with inflation. It also suggests reallocating funds from some independent special schools to expand the state special school sector, while urging measures to reduce significant deficits local authorities face on their high needs budgets, including cautiously considering partial write-offs.

Beyond education, the report points to the increasing burden on schools in providing services that should be shared with health providers. It stresses the need for the NHS to be more accountable in supporting young people with Send, especially as NHS restructures take place.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson acknowledged the deep-rooted problems facing the Send system and promised continued engagement with families, teachers, and experts. She reiterated ongoing government efforts to expand places for children with Send, improve teacher training, and introduce local support initiatives such as Best Start Family Hubs.

As reforms are anticipated in the Schools White Paper later this year, the committee’s clear message is one of cautious progress—advocating well-resourced, inclusive mainstream education accompanied by statutory national standards and safeguarding existing rights to ensure no child with Send is left behind.

📌 Reference Map:

  • Paragraph 1 – [1], [2]
  • Paragraph 2 – [1]
  • Paragraph 3 – [1], [4], [5], [7]
  • Paragraph 4 – [3]
  • Paragraph 5 – [1]
  • Paragraph 6 – [1]
  • Paragraph 7 – [1]
  • Paragraph 8 – [1]

Source: Noah Wire Services