Background and Inclusion (paras 1–4, 28–39, 48)
The report records that more than 1.7 million children in England are identified with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), including nearly half a million with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan (para 1). It describes “the current system as adversarial and difficult for families to navigate” (para 3), while schools and local authorities are under “significant financial and resource pressures” (para 4). Provision remains inconsistent, with a “lack of a national definition of inclusive education” (para 28). Many parents feel “compelled to secure an EHC plan or a place in a special school or independent specialist school” to access appropriate provision (para 33). To address this, the Committee recommends a clear definition of inclusion, national standards for ordinarily available provision, and “greater investment in training, accessibility and resources” (paras 36–39).
Trust and Accountability (paras 41–42, 49; Ch.4)
The Committee reports that “delays, unmet duties and lack of accountability” have “severely undermined trust in the system” (para 41). It also warns that Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills) and Area SEND inspections “can create perverse incentives for exclusion” (para 42). In response, the Committee calls for “much stronger accountability, greater transparency and clearer routes for families to challenge poor practice” (para 49).
Workforce, Funding and Partnerships (paras 43–48, 240–246, 323–328; Chs. 7–9)
The report stresses that “the workforce is under severe strain” (para 240). Teachers and Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCOs) often lack training, while shortages of educational psychologists (EPs) and speech and language therapists (SaLTs) “cause unacceptable delays for children and young people” (para 243). At the same time, councils face growing SEND-related deficits, leaving the system “financially unsustainable” (para 44). The Committee recommends a “national workforce plan”, “mandatory SEND training for staff”, and a “stable long-term funding model developed with HM Treasury” (para 48). It also urges stronger joint working, with statutory duties on health and a national SEND lead in the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to coordinate commissioning (paras 323–328).
Provision Across the System (paras 25–27, 46–47, 322; Chs. 5, 6, 10)
The Committee observes that “gaps in provision exist at every stage of education” (para 25). It highlights oversubscribed special schools (para 27), early years support that is “underfunded despite clear benefits” (para 46), and post-16 support that “drops away too often” (para 47). Compulsory GCSE resits in English and Maths were described as “damaging confidence and delaying progress” (para 47). To address these issues, the Committee recommends a “national capacity strategy with longer-term funding and better data” (para 322), national rollout of Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) and Early Language Support for Every Child (ELSEC) (para 46), and “broader post-16 pathways including vocational options and reform of the resit policy” (para 47).
Conclusion (paras 48–49; Ch.11)
The Committee concludes that “the SEND system is unsustainable and is failing too many children and families” (para 48). It calls for “urgent and fundamental reform” across inclusion, accountability, workforce, funding, partnerships and provision (para 49).
The report can be found here:https://committees.parliament.
Sean Kennedy
18 September 2025
