The House of Commons Library has prepared a briefing paper
setting out the system of support for children and young people
in England aged 0-25 with special educational needs (SEN).
The briefing provides an overview of the new system introduced in
2014, the transitional arrangements, and how the new system
differs from that which preceded it. It also includes a brief
history of the movement towards reform that preceded the 2014
changes, and information on the impact of the new system
available to date.
The Children and Families
Act 2014 introduced major reform of the system for
identifying children and young people in England with special
educational needs (SEN), assessing their needs and making
provision for them.
This briefing provides an overview of the system introduced in
2014, and also includes, in an annex, a brief history of the
movement towards reform that took place in the years preceding
the 2014 Act.
The 2014 reforms began to be implemented in September 2014, in
a phased process due to be completed by April 2018.
The Government has also reformed the funding system for SEN,
alongside wider changes to the school funding system. A
national funding formula has been introduced to allocate ‘high
needs’ funding to local authorities – largely, this is for
special educational provision.
From 2018-19, local authorities cannot transfer more than 0.5%
of their wider ‘schools block’ funding into their high needs
budget, although requests to transfer more may be made to the
Secretary of State. A call for evidence on high needs funding
ran from May to July 2019. The Government has not yet published
its response.
Inspections by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission of local
arrangements to support children and young people with special
educational needs and disabilities began in May 2016.
A separate Library briefing provides responses to Post-16 Special
Educational Needs FAQs, CBP 8561.
PDF, 821.63 KB)