The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system in the UK is facing an unprecedented crisis, according to recent reports by Dr. Amy Atkinson and Professor Uta Papen. These results ably illustrate how challenges related to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) have grown. Child health leaders in the North are waking up to SEND as a priority issue now, as well as urgent challenges such as poverty, school attendance and mental health. The reality we are facing today requires action now. Experts are calling on the country to fully acknowledge the existential threats our crisis presents.
As a recent contributor to the Independent Commission on Manufacturing Innovation, Professor Mark Mon-Williams has made the case for the UK to “wake up” to this imperative.
LOST GENERATION
In the 2023/24 academic year, we have already seen a staggering tripling in very severe school absences for children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). This gap has increased compared to children not in Special Educational Needs (SEN). The reality is that schools are deeply struggling. The gap in skills, resources and access to support services only deepens this expanding crisis.
Families trying to find their way through the SEND system often do so with lengthy waits for mandatory statutory EHCPs. These delays compound the difficulty of an already complicated process. An overwhelming 92% of families report that managing these issues negatively impacts their mental health. As the whole system grows more complex by the day, too many families find themselves lost and unable to get the support they’re in urgent need of.
The Impacts of SEND on Children and Families
The impacts of the SEND crisis reach far past education, affecting families’ financial and emotional well-being. The report goes on to show that chronic absence from school has become a deadly crisis. Children with SEND were missing more than half of their school days. This lack results in significant barriers to their educational success and future development.
Highlighting the complexities of the SEND system, Professor Papen explained how these factors lead to these serious absences. Instead they run into bureaucratic walls that drain their stamina and family capital. This undermines their ability to be strong advocates for their children’s needs. The one size fits all approach puts our children at risk and unfairly burdens families. This mental health impact creates a maddening and hopeless cycle that is difficult to overcome.
Baroness Anne Longfield, the Children’s Commissioner, has been calling for urgent reforms in the SEND system. She stated, “Reforming the SEND system is an urgent task. Too many families face draining and bureaucratic battles to get the right support for their children, and many children are missing out on the extra help they need to learn.” It is apparent that families are suffering due to failures in the system. We’re going to need a more streamlined and efficient system in order to do so.
Addressing Structural Inequalities
The N8 Research Partnership and Health Equity North have joined forces with Baroness Longfield’s Center for Young Lives. Together they have published a critical new update on the SEND crisis. This report underlines the importance and urgency of addressing structural inequalities. These external, structural inequalities sit at the heart of so many SEND-related injustices in the UK. The authors caution that these disparities will worsen without drastic action. If we don’t act to address this, it will have permanent implications on our children and our nation.
At the same time, the report reveals one unsurprising finding. SEND needs are intimately tied to factors like poverty, school exclusions and mental health. Child health leaders like Dr. Thelian insist that these interconnected factors need to be tackled together, through a comprehensive approach, in order to develop real solutions.
Baroness Longfield further stated, “The Government’s forthcoming White Paper must be the beginning of a change of direction—one that puts children first, supports families as early as possible, and provides schools with the resources they need to boost the life chances of every child.” This exceptional call to action makes clear the need for all stakeholders to act with the highest urgency to address this matter.
Innovative Approaches to Support SEND Education
In answer to these urgent circumstances, exciting new projects are taking root that have the potential to change education in enriching and impactful ways for children with SEND. The Morecambe Bay Curriculum is one example of the kind of initiative that is trying to establish place-based, sustainability-focused curricula. This educator-led initiative champions inclusivity and seeks to create learning tools designed exclusively for children with SEN.
“The Morecambe Bay Curriculum is an educator-led initiative to develop place-based curricula for learning about sustainability,” an anonymous source stated. “Being inclusive and creating learning resources for children with SEN is a core part of the MBC, showing the role schools can play as places of belonging and connection.” This new and creative approach keeps students hands-on and deeply engaged. At the same time, it tries to address the unacceptable levels of absence for children with SEND.
As reports continue to emerge highlighting the severity of the SEND crisis, stakeholders are urged to shift public and political discourse towards creating an inclusive environment that works for all children and young people. The report concludes with a stark warning: “Without action, the SEND crisis will deepen, the UK’s economy will suffer, the NHS will remain under great pressure, and the link between a child’s background and life chances will remain.”