The Nuffield Foundation responds to SEND Inquiry

Our funded research provides insights into challenges including critical workforce shortages, funding gaps, and inconsistent SEND identification.

The Nuffield Foundation has responded to the Education Committee’s inquiry into Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision in schools. 

It is widely acknowledged that the SEND system is facing significant challenges, and needs reform, so with the scale of the problem already well understood, the inquiry specifically asked for evidence which focused on solutions. 

The Foundation has funded many grants on SEND, and drew on their findings in our response, which focused on 3 key themes.   

Where and how SEND is identified 

The sharp rise in children identified with SEND has placed unprecedented pressure on the system, and the situation is further complicated by significant variations across schools. 

We funded research from the Education Policy Institute, which looked into how fairly and consistently SEND is identified in England. The research found that inconsistent assessment practices in schools seem to be a significant driver of the disparity, though other factors like parental choice and school selection practices may also have an effect. Whatever the cause of these variations, they present a substantial challenge for schools which don’t have the capacity to support so many high-needs children.  

The EPI’s research recommended several interventions, including a framework which outlines what support and adjustment schools should make for pupils with SEND; rationalising high needs funding across Local Authorities according to risk factors for SEND; and ensuring that schools have better access to education psychologists to help teachers disentangle children’s complex needs.  

Workforce challenges 

Schools are struggling to recruit enough teachers and support staff. This particularly impacts SEND provision, because children with SEND require additional support. We highlighted two pieces of research from the National Foundation for Educational Research which looked at the impact of the cost of living crisis on schools, and the trends which affect teacher supply shortages. 

To address workforce challenges, the NFER research highlighted the importance of narrowing the gap between teachers’ pay and the wider labour market, which has widened since the pandemic. They also recommended that the government conduct an independent review on workload, and introduce a refreshed recruitment and retention strategy. 

Funding the SEND system

With an unprecedented rise in the number of pupils with SEND, the question of how to fund the SEND system is critical. Research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), Spending on special educational needs in England: something has to change, cast a stark light on the scale of the problem. Central government funding for high-needs children grew by 59% between 2015/16 and 2024/25, accounting for half of the real terms rise in school funding over the same period. But this has still not kept pace with the increase in children who have an Education, Health and Care Plan. Without the “statutory override” which the government put in place for spending on SEND, many local authorities would be facing bankruptcy because of these rising costs. 

The IFS identified different options to address the crisis, acknowledging the costs and challenges of each. The research was clear that measures predominantly focused on cost-cutting were unlikely to provide the answer. Any long-term solution would need to include increased funding for SEND in either mainstream schools, specialist schools, or both, to provide the resources needed to cope with the rising demand.