WORSENING inequalities in the spread of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) reveal how some schools are actively avoiding admitting them, a new report has found.

Some mainstream primary schools have six times as many pupils receiving the highest level of Send support compared with others, according to the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) study, released today.

The analysis shows it is “essential that schools with strong inclusive cultures are supported rather than penalised and accountability measures and resources are aligned to avoid placing disproportionate pressure on schools serving higher numbers of pupils with Send,” it said.

National Education Union general secretary Daniel Kebede said the findings highlights that “some schools actively avoid admissions from Send students. 

“Where schools are inclusive and have built good practice in supporting Send students, they are too often finding themselves under attack from Ofsted and battling other accountability measures.   

“It is telling that according to the research findings one feature of the most inclusive schools is an intake of the most disadvantaged cohorts.

“Addressing child poverty and Send reform must be at the forefront of the government’s financial and educational planning for the future of the next generation.”

The government’s schools white paper, setting out reforms to the Send system, was due this autumn but has been delayed until 2026.

Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) are legal documents setting out support required for young people with Send. 

The findings show primary schools in the top quartile for pupils with EHCPs in 2024/25 had on average six times as many pupils with EHCPs compared with schools in the bottom quartile. The rate in secondaries was five times.

An Ofsted spokesperson said: “It’s utterly false to suggest that we ‘attack’ schools that are inclusive of pupils with Send. We have always inspected how well schools are meeting the needs of all their pupils, and where we find they are not providing the right support for pupils with Send we always report that.

“Under our renewed education inspection framework, which came into effect this week, ‘inclusion’ is both a standalone evaluation area and a golden thread running through every other area that we inspect. This it to help break down barriers to learning and well-being for disadvantaged and vulnerable children, including those with Send.”