Without fully understanding why demand for support has increased, the Department’s ability to provide value for money is undermined. Over the last decade, demand for EHC plans has soared. In January 2024, there were 3 576,000 children with EHC plans, a 140% increase since 2015. A further 1.14 million were receiving SEN support in schools, up by 14% since 2015. This encompasses large increases in certain needs, including autistic spectrum disorders, but the Department could do more to better u...

Without fully understanding why demand for support has increased, the Department’s ability to provide value for money is undermined. Over the last decade, demand for EHC plans has soared. In January 2024, there were 3 576,000 children with EHC plans, a 140% increase since 2015. A further 1.14 million were receiving SEN support in schools, up by 14% since 2015. This encompasses large increases in certain needs, including autistic spectrum disorders, but the Department could do more to better understand the reasons behind increasing demand. The Department considers that identifying and supporting SEN needs earlier could reduce demand and be mor Type: conclusion | Number: 2 | Response status: accepted Government response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. committed to delivering a more inclusive education system based on early intervention. While it cannot commit to setting out plans in the next six months, it will set out further detail later this year. The dep