One in 20 children in England now have an education, health and care plan (EHCP) after another 11 per cent yearly rise, new figures that will put more pressure on SEND reforms show.

The number of pupils with EHCPs is now 482,640 – the highest figure on record – and double the number in 2016.

The proportion of schoolchildren with a plan has now topped five per cent for the first time – rising from 4.8 per cent to 5.3 per cent in the last year.

EHCPs attract extra funding and detail the support a child is legally entitled to, and naming the school that must deliver it.

But goverment is considering a shake-up of the system, including rationing plans for just children in special schools.

One in five pupils have SEND

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said the figures “again underline how the status quo is completely unsustainable”.

“Schools have made it clear that they do not have sufficient core funding to meet the needs of all pupils,” he said.

There are now more than 1.7m pupils in schools in England with SEND. This equates to almost one in five pupils (19.5 per cent) and marks a 5.6 per cent increase on 2024.

More than one-quarter (27.3 per cent) of pupils with SEND now have an EHCP – up from 19.3 per cent in 2016.

The number of school pupils with SEND but without an EHCP has also risen this year by 3.7 per cent, to over 1.28 million.

This cohort now makes up 14.2 per cent of all pupils – up from 13.6 per cent last year.

The proportion of pupils with SEND peaks at the age of nine, when 17 per cent of all pupils receive SEND support.

More pupils with EHCPs in mainstream

Government will set out its SEND reforms in a white paper this autumn, but it wants to educate more pupils with additional needs in mainstream schools.

Today’s figures show the number of pupils with an EHCP who are education in mainstream schools has risen from 54.4 per cent in 2024, to 56.2 per cent this year – continuing a rise seen since 2018.

Ministers have set aside £740 million to help build specialist provision in mainstream schools.

In January, there were just 449 mainstream schools with SEN units, but this was an increase from 392 in 2024. Meanwhile, 1,217 schools had resourced provision, slightly up from 1,168 in 2023.

SEN units are where pupils with additional needs are taught within separate classes for at least half of their time.

Resourced provisions include places reserved at mainstream schools for pupils with a specific type of need, who are taught for at least half their time in mainstream classes.

Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, added the growth in EHCP numbers “leaves a multi-billion-pound funding shortfall in the high needs block”.

Schools “have, for far too long, been trying to paper over the cracks left by the shortfall in SEND funding and covering for SEND, speech and language and mental health specialists as well”.

Whiteman said it will be “absolutely vital” reform proposals are “supported by the necessary funding…especially if as expected the focus is on educating more pupils with additional needs in mainstream schools.”

Kebede also said the white paper, ongoing Ofsted reforms, and curriculum and assessment review must involve “systemic and cultural change and investment to make mainstream schools more inclusive” and “to turn around the SEND crisis”.