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Education

MPs Call for National Standards in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (Send) Provision

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

MPs have urged the Department for Education (DfE) to establish national standards for baseline special educational needs and disabilities (Send) provision in education, citing unacceptable inconsistency in current provision. The Commons Education Select Committee has recommended that the DfE publish statutory requirements setting out minimum resources, expertise, and equipment that all schools must have access to as part of their Send support offer. This is in order to provide a standardised, national framework for the support that children with Send can expect in school.

Key Takeaways:

  • The DfE should establish national standards for baseline Send provision in education, including minimum resources, expertise, and equipment that all schools must have access to.
  • The DfE should publish statutory requirements setting out these minimum standards within the next year.
  • At least one member of a school's senior leadership team should hold a Send qualification, and within four years, all headteachers should hold a Send-specific qualification.
  • The total number of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) in England has risen from 353,995 in 2019 to 638,745 in 2025.
  • MPs have called for professional development on Send to be mandatory for all teachers working in mainstream schools.
  • Current funding for Send pupils in mainstream schools of £6,000 must be increased every year in line with inflation.
  • The DfE should invest in more state special schools, shifting money from some independent special schools.
  • A partial write-off of Send deficits could help reduce the deficits local authorities are facing on their high needs budgets.

Statistics:

  • The total number of EHCPs in England has risen from 353,995 in 2019 to 638,745 in 2025.
  • £6,000 is the current funding for Send pupils in mainstream schools, which must be increased yearly in line with inflation.

Sources:

  • Commons Education Select Committee, Solving the Send Crisis
  • Department for Education (DfE) figures
  • PA news agency
  • Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL)
  • NAHT school leaders' union
  • Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson

Note: The above statistics and takeaways are based on the provided text and may not reflect the full scope of the report or recommendations.

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