Uneven distribution of SEND pupils placing strain on mainstream schools

The uneven distribution of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities across mainstream schools in England is placing greater strain on settings with the highest concentrations of need, new analysis by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) has found.

The study reports that more than half of pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans – legally binding documents for children with the most significant and complex needs – now attend mainstream schools. The proportion has risen to 56% in 2024/25, up from 49% in 2015/16, with the sharpest growth in primary settings.

Researchers found that primary schools with the highest rate of pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans had, on average, six times as many as those with the lowest rate. Secondary schools with the highest rate had around five times as many as those with the fewest.

Primary and secondary schools with the highest rate of pupils with any form of SEND – including both pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans and those receiving SEN Support, which refers to extra help for children without a statutory plan – had more than twice the proportion seen in schools with the lowest rates.

The research team also identified two groups of settings with higher-than-expected levels of need. The first group, referred to as high Education, Health and Care Plan schools, includes schools with above-average proportions of pupils with plans both locally and nationally. The second group comprises high-any-SEND schools, which have higher-than-expected proportions of pupils with either plans or SEN Support.

Both groups broadly resemble other mainstream schools but serve more disadvantaged communities and record lower average test scores. These differences are more marked among high-any-SEND schools.

The findings form part of interim analysis based on administrative data from the Department for Education’s National Pupil Database and Local Authority interviews. The full report is due next summer following a large-scale survey of school leaders and further interviews with staff and parents.

Local Authorities told researchers that schools with resourced provision or special educational needs units – dedicated classes within a school for particular forms of need – often show stronger expertise and more inclusive practice but may also attract additional pupils with plans, increasing pressure on budgets and staffing. They also pointed to variations in identification practices, parental choice and school ethos as factors shaping the clustering of pupils with SEND.

Parental preferences were described as influential, with some families seeking out schools known for inclusive approaches while others avoided settings perceived as less supportive. Accountability pressures were also cited, with performance concerns in some areas reported to discourage schools from admitting pupils with additional needs.

Matt Walker, principal investigator and senior research manager at the NFER, said: “Our latest findings show the uneven spread of pupils with SEND across mainstream schools risks creating significant pressures on those with the highest intakes of SEND students. These schools are often working tirelessly to provide inclusive education but may be facing growing financial and operational challenges.

“As the Government prepares its delayed schools white paper, these schools are likely to be most affected by any future reforms. The evidence underscores the need to take decisive action to create a fairer, more sustainable SEND system – one that supports inclusive schools rather than working against them – and ensures every child receives the right help in the right setting.”

Alice Reeves, research grants and programmes manager at the Nuffield Foundation, added:
“This report makes clear that the huge increase in the number of children with SEND over recent years has impacted some schools much more than others.

“The uneven spread of pupils with SEND has multiple drivers, including inconsistent admissions and identification practices, which the second phase of the research will further illuminate.The Government must recognise and address these issues to achieve greater inclusion in mainstream schools.”