Charity warns of “double disadvantage” for children with SEND from poorer families

According to research published by the Sutton Trust, children with special educational needs (SEN) from low-income families are facing “major inequalities” in access to support.

The research found that despite only 26% of children qualifying for free school meals, they account for 44% of those with EHCPs, and 39% of those receiving SEND support without an EHCP – meaning that pupils from low-income families are disproportionately more likely to have special needs that require extra support.

The Sutton Trust noted: “These pupils experience a double disadvantage at school – children with SEND who receive free school meals have lower outcomes at Key Stage 4 than their better off peers with SEND.

“In 2023/2024, only 7.5% of FSM [free school meal] pupils with an EHCP received a 4+ (a standard pass) in English and Maths, compared to 17% of those with an EHCP from better-off families.”

EHCPs are legally binding documents outlining a child’s needs and the support required, as opposed to the looser category of ‘SEND Support’.

Among all children with SEND, those from more affluent homes are more likely to secure an EHCP, in part through families spending more money on the process, the report observed.

For instance, 68% of middle-class parents spent money on their EHCP application, compared to just 28% of working-class parents.

Meanwhile, 11% of middle-class parents spent more than £5,000 on their application.

The research also found that better off families were more likely to secure special school places for their children with SEND. 41% reported securing a special school place, compared to just 25% of low-income parents.

12% of parents in special schools had spent over £5,000 on their EHCP compared to 1% of those in mainstream schools.

The Sutton Trust observed: “One reason for this is that more affluent families are more likely to use tribunals. 22% of more affluent parents successfully used the tribunal system after an initial EHCP rejection, compared to just 15% of lower-income parents. And independent special school places secured through EHCPs were twice as likely to result from a tribunal or appeal, compared to state special school places.”

Irrespective of income status, the report also highlighted the “heavy financial impact” that having a child with SEND can have on families.

Some 16% of parents reported leaving employment to support their child. 16% reported changing their job, and 27% reduced their working hours. 14% of families reported going into debt to pay for the resources their child needed.

Finally, the report found disparities in parents’ satisfaction with the support for their children – noting that middle class parents were more likely than working class parents to be happy with the support their children with SEND were receiving in terms of academic performance, behaviour, interpersonal relationships, pastoral care, and other areas.

Nick Harrison, CEO of the Sutton Trust, said: “We all know the SEND system is in crisis, and these findings show startling inequalities in who is able to access support. It’s unacceptable that a child’s background can dictate whether they get the help they need to thrive and be happy at school. This is a major barrier to their opportunities and can profoundly impact their long-term prospects.

“Right now, disadvantaged kids with SEND are being failed by a system beset with inconsistency and mind-boggling bureaucracy. Getting the right support for a child shouldn’t be about a parent’s ability to pay. We need urgent action to make the system work better for everyone.”

Responding to the report, Margaret Mulholland, SEND and Inclusion Specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: “This report provides yet more evidence of a special educational needs system which isn’t working well for children and young people, and where those from the poorest homes are the worst affected. Schools and colleges work tirelessly to support these students but they are critically under-resourced and face wider problems of delays to assessments for education, health, and care plans, and shortages of specialist staff such as speech and language therapists. Desperate families often pay for assessments themselves and fight for the level of care they want for their child through tribunals. But such measures are often more difficult for disadvantaged families and this means that we effectively have a two-tier system. 

“The government is planning to publish reforms to the SEND system in a white paper in the coming months and there is no question that change is desperately needed. But it must be based on ensuring that the system is resourced to meet the level of need or otherwise we are just going to end up back in the same loop. This is certainly about adequate funding, but it is also about ensuring that SEND training is embedded throughout the system, that schools and colleges have access to the specialist staff they need, and that education policy is always formulated with the needs of these children and young people in mind.”

The Department for Education has been approached for comment.

Lottie Winson