The Education Select Committee's report,
Solving the SEND Crisis, demands urgent, decisive, cross-government action to deliver an inclusive, well-resourced SEND system, anchored by statutory entitlements, proper accountability and parental partnership. The recommendations provide a clear blueprint for sustainable reform, but their impact will depend entirely on government will and implementation.
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Change is not optional. It is urgent and essential. The Department for Education must act decisively, working across government and with all stakeholders including children with SEND and their families to deliver a SEND system that is inclusive, fair, and fit for the future. Every child and young person with SEND has the right to thrive in education. We must not wait another decade to make that a reality.”
The Committee characterises the SEND system as adversarial, fragmented, and under-resourced, with families forced into battles for basic support, and professionals stretched beyond capacity. It firmly defends statutory entitlements (EHC Plans, Tribunal rights) and opposes any dilution of legal protections.
Recommendations emphasise boosting professional capacity, enhancing accountability, and improving supply rather than restricting demand. Caution is advised on implementation specifics and social care’s relative omission, but the overall direction is clear and strongly supportive of children’s rights.
Key findings include:
Systemic undercapacity vs growing needs
Since the 2014 Children and Families Act, SEND identification has risen dramatically, but the system’s capacity, funding, and workforce development have not kept pace, resulting in unmet needs and poor outcomes.
Inclusive education is inconsistent
Mainstream schools lack a consistent and clear framework for inclusion. The absence of a clear definition from the DfE perpetuates uneven provision.
Weak accountability
Schools, local authorities, health partners, and inspections lack robust accountability for SEND provision, eroding parental trust.
Workforce shortages
A lack of specialists (educational psychologists, therapists, SENCOs, and SEN-trained teachers), undermine the system's ability to support children effectively.
Recommendations include:
Define an operating framework for inclusion
The DfE must urgently publish a national definition of inclusive education drawing on UN conventions and best practice, accompanied by clear, statutory standards for ordinarily available provision in every school.
Consistent, evidence-led statutory requirements for minimum resources, specialist expertise, and equipment must apply to all educational settings.
A unified national framework for SEND support should be mandatory, with ongoing review and reporting on progress.
Restore parental confidence in the system
Accountability mechanisms must be strengthened so that Ofsted inspection frameworks properly assess inclusive practice, including comparative indicators such as SEND pupil proportions, exclusions, attendance, wellbeing and attainment (and admissions).
Mandatory, comprehensive SEND training for all Ofsted inspectors. Extend the remit of the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to cover complaints about EHC plan and SEN support delivery, closing a persistent accountability gap.
The SEND Tribunal must remain intact, with expanded powers over health services and mandatory compliance for local authorities and NHS partners.
Build workforce capacity
Initial teacher training and ongoing CPD must mandate substantial SEND content for all educators and support staff.
Implement mandatory specialist SEND qualifications in every school, set out appropriate SENCO-to-pupil and TA-to-pupil ratios, and enhance pay and career pathways for support staff.
Launch a joint SEND workforce plan across education, health, and care, focusing on deploying specialists for intervention rather than assessment paperwork.
Sustainable funding and data
Conduct a comprehensive review of the National Funding Formula and increase sustained investment for SEND provision; automatically uprate the notional £6,000 threshold.
Develop a capital investment strategy for SEND, enable multi-year cycles for better local planning, and shift funding toward early intervention in mainstream settings.
Implement a national SEND data strategy, requiring healthy, consistent data on need, provision, capacity, and outcomes.
Expand strategic architecture for capacity
Increase the number of specialist state school places and mainstream resource bases, backed by rigorous standards for staffing, expertise, and integration.
Designate centres of excellence within the best specialist state schools to support and disseminate expertise across the system.
Health and cross-sector accountability
Place a clear statutory duty on NHS and health services to fully participate in SEND support and respond to Tribunal decisions; appoint a national SEND lead within DHSC for strategic leadership.
Ensure health sector funding meets statutory duties, especially providing early intervention and therapeutic support.
Early Years and post-16
Universal rollout and adequate funding for early intervention programmes (ELSEC, NELI – evidence-based interventions), embedded in family hubs.
Reform post-16 support by introducing a dedicated funding stream for SEN in FE, and overhaul GCSE resit policy with more flexible qualification pathways.