Addressing the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) assessment and support crisis

There is a high prevalence of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), but the SEND system is in crisis. Around 40% of 5-16 year olds will be diagnosed with a SEND at some point. But significant delays in identifying needs, long waiting times, a lack of provision, exacerbated by a postcode lottery, and a severe funding crisis all mean children and families suffer.

The lack of provision has a devastating impact on academic, social and emotional developmentThe development. Children with SEND experience poorer education outcomes, higher rates of exclusion and are more likely to be NEET (not in education, employment or training)

Children from the most deprived areas are particularly at risk from the crisis in provisionChildren provision. They are 18.5 percentage points