Prospects are better with a Statement

The Department for Education (DfE) has released data exploring the “destinations” of pupils. This assesses how disabilities, special educational needs (SEN) and other characteristics impact upon pupils’ further education.

The statistics relate to children at the end of Key Stage 4 (year 10) and Key Stage 5 (year 12). The information is framed around the ‘old’ SEN support regime. This provided a staged support structure so that children with minor SEN were supported at School Action, those with more significant SEN at School Action Plus and those with the most pronounced and challenging SEN with a Statement of Special Educational Needs.

The figures indicate that children with SEN stay in long-term education when supported with a Statement and that those who attended a special school remain in school longer than those children who did not.

Statement vs School Action/School Actions Plus

At Key Stage 4, 89% of pupils without any form of SEN had a sustained education destination. This compared to 82% of children with a Statement and just 76% of children supported at School Action or School Action Plus.

It is notable that children with a statement fared better than those at School Action / School Action Plus given that those with a Statement have significantly more challenging needs than those at School Action. It would call into question how many of those pupils at School Action / School Action Plus require the additional support of a Statement.

Mainstream vs specialist schools

Children with SEN being educated in a maintained special school at Key Stage 4 fared better than those in mainstream school. 85% of children at a special school (all of whom had a Statement) went into a sustained further education placement. This is significantly higher than the proportion of children with SEN in a mainstream school, particularly those supported at School Action or School Action Plus. This obviously conflicts with the continued Parliamentary pressure for children with SEN to be educated in mainstream schools.

58% of pupils in a maintained special school at Key Stage 4 make the move to mainstream education by Key Stage 5.

Independent vs maintained schools

Prospects of children in a non-maintained special school are even higher. The results indicate that 93% of children continued to progress through education. This is 4% above the level of children without any form of SEN. 70% of children in non-maintained special school at Key Stage 4 remain in special placements at Key Stage 5. That would suggest that these children have the most challenging needs, highlighting even further the difference in their future prospects.

Conclusions

As a Statement of SEN is reserved for children with the most challenging special educational needs, it is note-worthy that significantly more pupils with a Statement progress further into education than pupils with ‘lower level’ SEN which do not warrant a Statement.

The Children and Families Act 2014 removed School Action and School Action Plus. All children with SEN, unless otherwise supported by a Statement or Education, Health and Care Plan, will now be supported by Additional SEN Support.

The general feeling is that the models of School Action and School Action Plus will still be employed. However, these statistics call into question whether those methods were working and to what extent their less-defined replacement will prove helpful.

The results provide an obvious conclusion; if a child is given the right support at the right placement, their prospects significantly improve. Parents of those in the middle at Additional SEN Support should carefully consider a request for an assessment and seeking independent legal advice.