More than 267,000 pupils in London are now identified as having special educational needs and disabilities, a scale which is forcing questions about whether England’s SEND system is fit for purpose.
In January, the government announced it was set to invest £200 million in comprehensive training for all teachers supporting SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) pupils as part of the mission to reform the system.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Every child, wherever they live and whatever their needs, should have the opportunity to go to a local school where they can achieve and thrive.”
But councillors warned in early November that the SEND system in England was on the brink of total collapse, as 59 upper-tier authorities are at risk of effective bankruptcy by March 2028.
The Office of Budgetary Deficits projected that SEND spending deficits will reach £14bn by 2028, a deficit that has been held off council sheets via override, preventing bankruptcy.
In response, the Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in the Autumn budget that the government would take over full responsibility for SEND spending from local councils.
Local government leaders welcomed the decision, but there is uncertainty as to how the deficit will be cleared.
Rising Demand, Uneven Provision
Across England, the number of pupils with SEND has increased by an average of 25% between 2020 and 2025.
Spending on SEND is expected to more than double in real terms between 2015 and 2028. However, much of this rise has been absorbed by squeezing funding for mainstream schools.
Havering saw the largest increase in SEND pupils in London boroughs between 2020 and 2025, followed by Camden.
Nationally, the most common need among pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is autism spectrum disorder, while speech, language and communication needs are most common among pupils receiving SEN support.
SEND is most prevalent among boys, particularly at age nine.
Postcode lottery
Florence, a speech and language therapist working with SEND pupils in London, described the quality of support as a ‘postcode lottery’.
She said: “Islington is one of the best-funded boroughs in London.”
“But you could be one street away in Hackney or Haringey and be dealing with a completely different budget range.”
While EHCPs are intended to prioritise pupils by legally specifying the support they must receive each academic year, Florence said access to these plans has become increasingly restricted.
“It used to be that children with one or two diagnoses were eligible,” she said. “But because councils are so underfunded and the NHS is so overstretched, it’s no longer a guarantee.”
Data comparing ECHP plans versus high needs bloc allocation reveals stark inequities, where some boroughs are under significant strain despite high needs.
Boroughs with low £ per EHCP face higher pressure to deliver services.
While Camden receives £43k in grants per student, Bexley is under high strain and receives just £17.7k
Two children with the same level of SEND support could receive very different funding simply based on geography.
Even when a child does receive an EHCP, there is no certainty that recommended services such as occupational therapy will be received.
Overworked and understaffed
Sage, a TA at an outdoor learning and play school in Lewisham, stressed that while educational reform is important, better pay would be the most effective way to incentivise change.
She said: “In general, everyone is overworked and undertaffed, so people run out of steam very easily.
“I can’t speak for teachers, but I make just above minimum wage and am barely getting by and am exhausted. Many people have to pick up other part-time child-minding positions just to get by.”
She added that the education system often caters to a narrow group of pupils, leaving many children unsupported, despite the efforts of individual schools.
She said: “It’s so tough when the system is designed for a very specific margin of children, so a lot of children just get left behind.”
Florence said TAs are often used as 1:1 support for children when funding has not been adequately allocated to a child, resulting in a domino effect where teachers and TAs are doing the job of behavioural management rather than teaching.
Training gaps
There is currently no mandatory training requirement to become a special needs TA, despite the complexity of the role in practice.
Conditions such as autism can present in vastly different ways, ranging from difficulties with social interaction to severe physical and communication needs.
Support worker Ellen said this lack of understanding often leads to mismatched support.
“The spectrum is so vast that it’s really hard for people to understand what it means to have a child with autism, because it could present in any way,” she said.
“You get situations where children with severe communication difficulties are being taught maths, but might not be able to feed or dress themselves independently.”
Florence said: “Training is not very consistent from my experience, there needs to be a standardised, broader teaching module across Teacher professional courses where they have to demonstrate their understanding of working with children with SEND.”
Kids’, a charity supporting children and young people with disabilities, welcomed the government’s focus on training and professional development, describing it as critical to the success of SEND reform.
The charity views the move as part of a wider step towards a more inclusive education system and noted that SEND training will become a legal requirement.
However, it stressed that teachers cannot support pupils alone, and that effective SEND provision depends on consistent access to professionals such as occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and educational psychologists.
Beyond the classroom
Vanessa, who provides one-to-one support in a nursery and works as a play and care coordinator at Hayward Adventure Playground in North London, highlighted the wider impact of exclusion on children’s wellbeing.
Playgrounds like Hayward operate as short break resources, with hours awarded by local councils to young people with disabilities. Yet inclusive and integrated spaces remain rare.
She said: “It’s incredibly rare to have settings where young people can interact, develop different skills and feel supported in who they are.
“Lack of inclusion has a huge impact on self-esteem and belonging.”
She also emphasised the need for better coordination between schools, social services and parents, describing them as a “team around the child”.
“The way a child behaves in school is shaped by their home environment and the support they receive elsewhere,” she said.
While supportive of mandatory teacher training, she warned that its success would depend on how it is implemented and whether it reflects lived experience.
She said: “Schools are struggling to truly understand children’s needs and how they communicate.”
The Department of Education has been approached for comment.
Featured Image Credit: Caleb Woods via Upsplash
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