Is the SEND system broken?

This is an edited version of an article that appeared in The Yorkshire Post on 28 January 2025 in which Matt Bromley argues the SEND system isn’t working and needs urgent reform…

There is growing consensus among policymakers, professionals, and parents that the SEND system is buckling under the weight of growing demand, funding pressures, and administrative complexity.

The statistics speak for themselves: there has been a 140% increase in children with EHC plans since 2015. Currently, 5% of all learners in England have an EHCP, with countless others who failed to meet the threshold still requiring significant support.

Despite additional funding, delays in assessment remain unacceptably long, children’s needs are going unmet, and parents are being left exhausted and exasperated by a system that sometimes feels designed to obstruct rather than support.

Schools, families, and local councils may disagree on the specifics, but they are united in one belief: the current system is not fit for purpose.

Adding to the urgency is a looming financial deadline. Since 2020, councils in England have been able to park around £3.3 billion of SEND overspend ‘off the books’ thanks to an accounting loophole known as the statutory override. But this is set to end in 2026, and when it does, local authorities will face a financial reckoning unless drastic action is taken.

The key challenges facing the SEND system are:

1. Insufficient funding: Schools and local authorities often lack the resources required to meet the needs of all eligible children, leading to delays in support and, in some cases, unmet needs.
2. Lengthy and bureaucratic processes: Securing an EHCP is often a slow and cumbersome process, leaving families frustrated and children unsupported for extended periods.
3. Inconsistent provision across regions: SEND provision is often described as a ‘postcode lottery’, with significant disparities in the quality and availability of support depending on where a family lives.
4. Pressures on mainstream schools: With specialist provision oversubscribed, more children with SEND are being placed in mainstream schools. While inclusion is a laudable goal, many mainstream settings lack the training, staffing, and resources to provide adequate support, creating challenges for SEND children and their peers, as well as teachers.
5. Impact on families: Families often bear the brunt of systemic failings, facing emotional and financial pressures as they navigate a system that can feel adversarial and exhausting. Many parents resort to costly legal action to secure the support their child needs.

What can we do to fix the SEND system?

1. Increase funding for SEND provision: It’s the most obvious answer and the most difficult, but adequate funding is essential to ensure schools and local authorities can meet the growing demand for SEND services. This includes investing in specialist staff, resources, and training for mainstream schools.
2. Streamline the EHCP process: The EHCP system needs to be simplified and made more efficient. Clearer guidelines, faster assessment timelines, and reduced bureaucracy would alleviate pressure on families and local authorities alike.
3. Address regional inequalities: To eliminate the postcode lottery, national standards for SEND provision should be established and monitored to ensure consistent quality and access across all local authorities.
4. Invest in specialist provision and enhance teacher training: Expanding specialist schools and support units would reduce pressure on mainstream schools and ensure learners with complex needs receive tailored support. All teachers, whether in mainstream or specialist settings, should also receive comprehensive training on SEND. This would build confidence and competence, ensuring all SEND children receive high-quality support.
5. Strengthen collaboration with families: Parents and carers are key partners in their children’s education, yet they often feel sidelined. Greater collaboration would lead to better outcomes and reduce the adversarial nature of the current system.

Another route towards meaningful improvement is curriculum reform. Across the developed world, there has been a marked rise in autism, ADHD, and mental health challenges among young people. While this trend can’t be pinned solely on domestic education policy, it’s clear that some decisions — such as the shift to exam-heavy GCSEs and cuts to school budgets — have made classrooms less flexible and less welcoming for learners with additional needs. A more inclusive curriculum, combined with further research into the root causes of these trends, could therefore be a solution worth considering.

The SEND system is not beyond repair, but it does require urgent reform. By addressing funding shortfalls, reducing bureaucracy, and investing in training and resources, we can create a system that works for all learners.

Every child deserves the chance to thrive, and fixing the SEND system is a moral and practical imperative that cannot wait.

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About the author

Matt Bromley is CEO of bee and Chair of the Building Equity in Education Campaign. He is an education journalist, author, and advisor with over twenty-five years’ experience in teaching and leadership including as a headteacher. He is now a public speaker, trainer, initial teacher training lecturer, and school improvement advisor, and remains a practising teacher. Matt writes for various magazines, is the author of numerous best-selling books on education, and co-hosts an award-winning podcast. Find out more at bee-online.uk

Matt’s next book, out in May 2025 and published by Routledge, is called Why School Doesn’t Work for Every Child and explores ways of creating more inclusive schools.