{"id":747270,"date":"2026-02-06T23:38:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T23:38:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/747270\/"},"modified":"2026-02-06T23:38:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T23:38:12","slug":"inside-the-send-crisis-more-than-267000-london-pupils-now-have-special-educational-needs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/747270\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the SEND crisis: more than 267,000 London pupils now have special educational needs"},"content":{"rendered":"

More than 267,000 pupils in London are now identified as having special educational needs and disabilities, a scale which is forcing questions about whether England\u2019s SEND system is fit for purpose.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

In January, the government announced it was set to invest \u00a3200 million in comprehensive training for all teachers supporting SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) pupils as part of the mission to reform the system.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: \u201cEvery child, wherever they live and whatever their needs, should have the opportunity to go to a local school where they can achieve and thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n

But councillors warned in early November that the SEND system in England was on the brink of total collapse, as 59 upper-tier authorities are at risk of effective bankruptcy by March 2028.<\/p>\n

The Office of Budgetary Deficits projected that SEND spending deficits will reach \u00a314bn by 2028, a deficit that has been held off council sheets via override, preventing bankruptcy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In response, the Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in the Autumn budget that the government would take over full responsibility for SEND spending from local councils.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Local government leaders welcomed the decision, but there is uncertainty as to how the deficit will be cleared.<\/p>\n

Rising Demand, Uneven Provision<\/strong><\/p>\n

Across England, the number of pupils with SEND has increased by an average of 25% between 2020 and 2025.<\/p>\n

Spending on SEND is expected to more than double in real terms between 2015 and 2028. However, much of this rise has been absorbed by squeezing funding for mainstream schools.<\/p>\n

Havering saw the largest increase in SEND pupils in London boroughs between 2020 and 2025, followed by Camden.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Nationally, the most common need among pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is autism spectrum disorder, while speech, language and communication needs are most common among pupils receiving SEN support.\u00a0<\/p>\n

SEND is most prevalent among boys, particularly at age nine.<\/p>\n

Postcode lottery<\/strong><\/p>\n

Florence, a speech and language therapist working with SEND pupils in London, described the quality of support as a \u2018postcode lottery\u2019.<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cIslington is one of the best-funded boroughs in London.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cBut you could be one street away in Hackney or Haringey and be dealing with a completely different budget range.\u201d<\/p>\n

While EHCPs are intended to prioritise pupils by legally specifying the support they must receive each academic year, Florence said access to these plans has become increasingly restricted.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt used to be that children with one or two diagnoses were eligible,\u201d she said. \u201cBut because councils are so underfunded and the NHS is so overstretched, it\u2019s no longer a guarantee.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Data comparing ECHP plans versus high needs bloc allocation reveals stark inequities, where some boroughs are under significant strain despite high needs. <\/p>\n

Boroughs with low \u00a3 per EHCP face higher pressure to deliver services.<\/p>\n

While Camden receives \u00a343k in grants per student, Bexley is under high strain and receives just \u00a317.7k<\/p>\n

Two children with the same level of SEND support could receive very different funding simply based on geography. <\/p>\n

Even when a child does receive an EHCP, there is no certainty that recommended services such as occupational therapy will be received. <\/p>\n

Overworked and understaffed<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sage, a TA at an outdoor learning and play school in Lewisham, stressed that while educational reform is important, better pay would be the most effective way to incentivise change.<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cIn general, everyone is overworked and undertaffed, so people run out of steam very easily.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t speak for teachers, but I make just above minimum wage and am barely getting by and am exhausted. Many people have to pick up other part-time child-minding positions just to get by.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added that the education system often caters to a narrow group of pupils, leaving many children unsupported, despite the efforts of individual schools. <\/p>\n

She said: \u201cIt\u2019s so tough when the system is designed for a very specific margin of children, so a lot of children just get left behind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Florence said TAs are often used as 1:1 support for children when funding has not been adequately allocated to a child, resulting in a domino effect where teachers and TAs are doing the job of behavioural management rather than teaching. <\/p>\n

Training gaps<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is currently no mandatory training requirement to become a special needs TA, despite the complexity of the role in practice.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Conditions such as autism can present in vastly different ways, ranging from difficulties with social interaction to severe physical and communication needs.<\/p>\n

Support worker Ellen said this lack of understanding often leads to mismatched support.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe spectrum is so vast that it\u2019s really hard for people to understand what it means to have a child with autism, because it could present in any way,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou get situations where children with severe communication difficulties are being taught maths, but might not be able to feed or dress themselves independently.\u201d<\/p>\n

Florence said: \u201cTraining is not very consistent from my experience, there needs to be a standardised, broader teaching module across Teacher professional courses where they have to demonstrate their understanding of working with children with SEND.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kids\u2019, a charity supporting children and young people with disabilities, welcomed the government\u2019s focus on training and professional development, describing it as critical to the success of SEND reform.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The charity views the move as part of a wider step towards a more inclusive education system and noted that SEND training will become a legal requirement.<\/p>\n

However, it stressed that teachers cannot support pupils alone, and that effective SEND provision depends on consistent access to professionals such as occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and educational psychologists.<\/p>\n

Beyond the classroom<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vanessa, who provides one-to-one support in a nursery and works as a play and care coordinator at Hayward Adventure Playground in North London, highlighted the wider impact of exclusion on children\u2019s wellbeing.<\/p>\n

Playgrounds like Hayward operate as short break resources, with hours awarded by local councils to young people with disabilities.\u00a0Yet inclusive and integrated spaces remain rare.<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cIt\u2019s incredibly rare to have settings where young people can interact, develop different skills and feel supported in who they are.<\/p>\n

\u201cLack of inclusion has a huge impact on self-esteem and belonging.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also emphasised the need for better coordination between schools, social services and parents, describing them as a \u201cteam around the child\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe way a child behaves in school is shaped by their home environment and the support they receive elsewhere,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

While supportive of mandatory teacher training, she warned that its success would depend on how it is implemented and whether it reflects lived experience.<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cSchools are struggling to truly understand children\u2019s needs and how they communicate.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Department of Education has been approached for comment.<\/p>\n

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