Responding to a new report from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) which finds uneven distribution of pupils with special educational needs (SEND) across schools - placing particular strain on those which support disproportionately high numbers of children with additional needs. Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“With the government having indicated that it wants more children with special educational needs (SEND) to remain in mainstream schools, these findings highlight the importance of investment to support all schools to consistently deliver the first-rate provision and timely help children deserve.

“What we currently see is a postcode lottery in funding allocated to schools by local authorities, meaning children with similar needs can receive vastly different levels of provision depending on where they live. The lack of any genuine correlation between numbers of pupils on roll with additional needs and the total funding schools receive makes no sense to families or schools themselves.

“While the fabulous provision developed in many schools should be celebrated, better funding and improved coordination across education, health and social care would facilitate not just the sharing but also the implementation of more consistent, high-quality SEND support nationally.

“This must be accompanied by the systemic reform so desperately needed and a workforce plan to address shortages of specialists like educational psychologists and speech and language therapists.

“The end goal must be a system in which parents can be confident their children will get the support they need at any local school.”