Special Educational Needs: support in England
An overview of the current system of support for children and young people with special educational needs, and pressure on the system. Updated with new 2024-25 SEND incidence and EHC plan data

This House of Commons Library briefing provides an introduction and reference guide to the key schools-related topics often raised with Members by constituents in Wales.
Constituency casework: schools in Wales (386 KB , PDF)
Members often receive enquiries from constituents about school-related matters. Many of these can be answered from readily available information on the internet or in standard publications. Where complex issues are raised it may be more appropriate to refer the constituent to specialist bodies and organisations or to a solicitor if legal advice is sought.
This note gives a brief overview of the structure of the state-maintained school system in Wales, including an outline of the different categories of schools, as often an answer to a school-related constituency question may depend upon the type of school in question. The note provides background and key sources on a selection of issues that are typically raised with Members by constituents. Members who have questions on topics not covered here may contact the Social Policy Section for information.
The various guidance documents referred to in this briefing are current at the time of writing; however, some sources are updated regularly or from time to time so it is advisable to check the relevant websites.
This note relates to Wales only. Education is a devolved area and information on school-related issues is available on the websites of the Department for Education, Scottish Government, and the Northern Ireland Department of Education.
There are also Library briefings:
Constituency casework: schools in Wales (386 KB , PDF)
An overview of the current system of support for children and young people with special educational needs, and pressure on the system. Updated with new 2024-25 SEND incidence and EHC plan data
A debate on the attainment and engagement of boys in education is scheduled to take place in the House of Commons Chamber on Thursday 10 July 2025. The subject for the debate was determined by the Backbench Business Committee, and the debate will be led by Sam Rushworth MP.
This paper provides statistics on household food insecurity, food bank usage and free school meals in the UK, and tracks the impact of rising living costs.