An uneven spread of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) risks leaving some schools under greater strain, a report has warned.
Analysis by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) has found that primary and secondary schools with the highest rate of pupils with any form of SEND have, on average, more than twice the proportion as those with the fewest.
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.”
Highest rates of pupils with EHCPs
Researchers identified two groups of schools: those with above-average proportions of pupils with education, health and care plans (EHCPs), and those with higher-than-expected proportions of pupils with EHCPs and/or SEN support.
The latter were described by researchers as “high-any-SEND schools”.
Both groups are more likely to draw from more disadvantaged communities and have lower average test scores than other schools. This is particularly the case for high-any-SEND schools.
The report is published as a Vlog investigation highlights concerns about different approaches used by schools to identify SEND, with experts calling for more guidance on the way SEND registers are used.
The NFER report found that in 2024-25, primary schools with the highest rate of pupils with EHCPs had, on average, six times as many as those with the lowest rate.
A similar pattern is seen among secondary schools, where those with the highest rate of students with EHCPs had around five times as many as those with the fewest.
‘Decisive’ action needed
The NFER report, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, finds that 56 per cent of pupils with EHCPs - legally binding documents setting out how pupils’ needs will be met - are now educated in mainstream schools, up from 49 per cent in 2015-16.
The report also includes findings from interviews with staff in local education authorities.
Local council staff told the NFER that variations in school identification practices, parental choice and school ethos contribute to the clustering of pupils with SEND in particular schools.
They also said that schools with resourced provision or SEND units can attract additional pupils with EHCPs.
And they said parental choice influences which schools pupils with SEND attend. Some families are drawn to schools known for inclusive practices, while others avoid those perceived as being less supportive.
Mr Walker said: “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.”
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