England’s education system is facing a watershed moment as a cross-party group of MPs demands sweeping reforms to how schools support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). With the number of children identified as having SEND soaring from 1.3 million in 2019 to a staggering 1.7 million in 2025, the Education Select Committee warns that the current system is teetering on the brink of collapse under the weight of growing demand and financial strain, according to Sky News and the BBC.
At the heart of the crisis is the sharp rise in Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)—statutory documents that guarantee tailored support for children with the most acute needs. EHCP rates reached an all-time high in the 2024/25 academic year, with 482,640 pupils (5.3% of all students) holding one, up from 4.8% the previous year. Meanwhile, more than 1.2 million pupils receive SEND support without an EHCP, but many parents see the legal protections these plans provide as essential for their children’s education.
The committee’s new report, “Solving the SEND Crisis,” calls for nothing less than a “root and branch transformation” of mainstream education. “Making sure every child in the country with SEND can attend a local school that meets their needs will require a root and branch transformation,” said Helen Hayes, the committee’s chair, in remarks reported by Schools Week. “SEND must become the business of every front line professional in educational settings, with in-depth training at the start and throughout the careers of teachers, senior leaders and teaching assistants.”
This transformation, MPs argue, must begin with a cultural shift, embedding inclusivity as a core value across all schools—from early years to post-16 education. They recommend that within four years, all new headteachers should be required to hold a SEND-specific qualification. Furthermore, the committee calls for investment in the skills of current and future school staff, making SEND the responsibility of the entire school, not just specialist staff.
But it’s not just about training. The committee also urges the government to establish new statutory national minimum standards for SEND support, so families know exactly what help they can expect—long before the need for an EHCP arises. “The government must develop a standardised, national framework for the support that children with SEND can expect in school, long before requiring an EHCP, so that there can be confidence and clear lines of accountability,” Hayes emphasized.
The financial stakes are high. Since 2018, there’s been a 50% real-terms increase in spending on SEND, driven by an 80% rise in EHCPs, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Local authorities are feeling the pinch, with many reportedly on the edge of bankruptcy. The National Audit Office has warned that the system is “not financially sustainable,” despite significant increases in high-needs funding over the past decade. The committee’s solution? More investment in specialist state schools and per-pupil SEND funding that keeps pace with inflation, alongside a strategic rethink of how resources are allocated, taking into account local factors like deprivation and transport distances.
One of the report’s most urgent recommendations is to scale back costly special needs referrals and replace them with robust, in-school help for children with lower-level needs. This approach, MPs say, would ease the pressure on the EHCP system, reduce waiting lists, and ensure that children get the help they need before problems escalate. “Identifying needs early in a child’s education will enable support to be provided in the mainstream,” the report states. “This cultural shift would then calm the rising need for complex, EHCPs in the long-term, and help put schools and local authorities’ finances on a sustainable footing.”
The committee’s findings come amid growing frustration from parents and campaigners. Lauren, whose six-year-old son was diagnosed with autism in January, described her ordeal to Sky News: “It’s incredibly hard to watch a child who’s already vulnerable be pushed even further into disadvantage by the very systems that were supposed to protect and support him.” Many families face long waits for assessments—sometimes over a year, according to a recent YouGov poll commissioned by Parentkind. Half of parents who requested a special needs assessment said they were still waiting or had to pay privately, while a quarter of those waiting had been doing so for more than a year.
Rachel Filmer, co-founder of Save Our Children’s Rights, welcomed the push for greater inclusivity in mainstream schools but insisted: “It is vital that children retain the right to statutory plans, to individualised support, and to specialist school placements if this is in the child’s best interests.” Parent campaigners like Tracy Winchester, who has fought three separate tribunals to secure appropriate support for her son, worry that any move to scrap EHCPs would strip away crucial legal protections. “We won’t stand for our legal rights being taken away, and the thought of it is horrifying,” Winchester told the BBC. “Without the legal rights I don’t know where we would have got to.”
Despite speculation that the government might eliminate EHCPs, the Education Select Committee is clear: these plans, along with SEND tribunals, must remain as a “backstop of accountability” for parents. The committee also wants the SEND Tribunal’s powers expanded to issue legally-binding recommendations to health services, ensuring that support is not just promised on paper but delivered in practice.
Expert witnesses told MPs that the causes of rising SEND need are complex, citing factors like greater awareness, better diagnosis, and wider social and health trends—including a notable increase in autism and ADHD diagnoses. The County Councils Network described the diagnosis of multiple, complex needs as the “new normal.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the school leaders’ union NAHT, agreed that all teachers should be trained to support children with SEND, but stressed that schools can’t do it alone. “There must be a collaborative multi-agency approach, with the onus not just on schools but on all health and child services to support children and young people with SEND,” he said. “There must be a recognition that funding for SEND is currently insufficient and a re-thought system will need to be fully resourced in order to work.”
In response to the report, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said, “This report highlights the deep-rooted issues which have plagued the SEND system for too long. I am continuing to listen closely to families, teachers and experts, as we put together plans to transform outcomes for every child with SEND, building on the work we have already started.” She added that the government is investing in more places for children with SEND, improved teacher training, and family hubs in every local area.
As the government prepares to publish its own white paper on SEND reform this autumn, the message from Parliament is clear: piecemeal changes won’t cut it. Only a comprehensive, well-resourced overhaul—one that makes inclusivity the norm, not the exception—will ensure that every child, regardless of their needs, gets the education and support they deserve.
