Lack of specialist staff hinders support for Send children, teacher survey finds

"Nine out of 10 (89%) of the 10,000 teachers who took part in the poll said class sizes were too big to be properly inclusive. Four out of five (83%) said insufficient numbers of support staff in the classroom created a barrier to inclusion."

"One teacher described the plight of a pupil trapped on a waiting list, stating, 'I have a suicidal boy in my class who is on a six-month waitlist just to be seen by a specialist.'"

"The NEU general secretary, Daniel Kebede, warned that mainstream schools are not resourced or staffed to cope with current levels of need and said additional money promised by the government to fund the changes was insufficient."

A survey of 10,000 teachers in England reveals that oversized classes and insufficient staffing levels are major barriers to supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities. 89% of teachers reported that class sizes hinder inclusivity, while 83% cited a lack of support staff as a barrier. Additionally, 69% noted limited access to specialist services. Only 22% felt confident that referrals for assessments would lead to necessary support. The NEU general secretary emphasized that mainstream schools lack the resources to meet current needs, despite government plans for improvement.

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