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3d ago

UK Schools Face SEND Crisis as Survey Highlights Severe Capacity and Resource Gaps

A new poll reveals 98% of mainstream school leaders lack resources to meet SEND needs, with union leaders demanding urgent reforms and funding at the NAHT conference.

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Overview

  • Four in five school leaders report having SEND pupils in mainstream classes due to a shortage of specialist placements, according to a recent NAHT survey.
  • Nearly all mainstream schools (98%) say they lack the resources to adequately support their SEND students, highlighting a growing strain on education systems.
  • Special schools are heavily oversubscribed, with Department for Education figures showing 8,000 more pupils enrolled than capacity last year, and two-thirds of schools at or over capacity.
  • The government has pledged £1.7 billion through its Plan for Change, including £740 million to increase SEND placements, but union leaders argue this falls short of addressing the crisis.
  • NAHT conference delegates are debating motions calling for increased funding, training, and a government study to better understand the scale of unmet specialist needs in schools.