Special Educational Needs Support Plans Reach New High in England

The number of children and young people receiving special educational needs support through Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) in England reached a new peak. The Department for Education released figures indicating 576,000 active EHCPs as of January 2024.

This total represents an increase of 67,000 plans from the previous year. This 13% rise marks the largest annual increase in EHCPs since the government implemented the plans. Approximately 6.4% of all children and young people aged 2 to 25 years currently hold an EHCP.

Local authorities produced 67,400 new EHCPs in 2023. This figure represents an increase of 26.9% compared to the 53,100 new plans issued in 2022.

The data also showed a decline in the percentage of new EHCPs finalized within legal timeframes. In 2023, 50.7% of new plans were issued within the 20-week statutory limit. This percentage is lower than the 51.5% recorded in 2022 and significantly below the 60% figure from 2021.

Approximately 98,700 children and young people received support through SEN Support, a different category of special educational needs provision, but did not have an EHCP.