Record number of London pupils need Send support

"Nichola - whose son Alistair is autistic, has ADHD and struggles in mainstream education - said she had "learnt more from strangers" than schools and councils on how to access support. The DfE said it "inherited a Send system on its knees" and was working on reforms to fix it. Nichola, who lives in south London, said Year 6 pupil Alistair was bright and capable, especially in maths, but struggled with inflexible thinking, hyper focus and sensory overwhelm."

""They call it a meltdown but for me, it feels like an eruption," she said. "He just reaches a point where the emotions are too big. He can't manage them. "It affects everything. If I have a day off, I have to stay local because I need to know there's somebody around to pick him up." The number of with children autistic spectrum disorder receiving support in London has increased by 158% from 17,832 in 2015-16 to 46,095 in 2024-2025, according to DfE data."

"After repeated school refusals and episodes where Alastair ran away, he was placed in a newly commissioned social, emotional and mental health resource base at his primary school - a specialist unit for children who need extra help. "When we used to force Alistair to go to school, he would escape. He would climb over a six-foot fence and jump over it," Nichola said. She said Alastair's attendance had improved since he started at the unit."

The number of children in London requiring special educational needs and disabilities support rose from 205,309 in 2015-16 to 267,368 in 2024-25, a nearly one-third increase. Children with autistic spectrum disorder receiving support increased by 158%, from 17,832 to 46,095. Parents report having to fight for access to services while councils warn of mounting financial pressure. The Department for Education said it "inherited a Send system on its knees" and is working on reforms. Individual cases include children with autism and ADHD whose behaviour, sensory overwhelm and school refusal improved after placement in specialist resource bases backed by an EHCP.

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