What are EHCPs (education, health and care plans)?
Essentially, they are plans outlining a child or young person’s education, health and care support that must be approved by the child or young person’s respective local authority (LA) following an assessment. They are legally binding and set out what support must be provided by what persons or organisations. Parents, young people between 16 and 25 or any other key figure in the individual’s life can request an assessment for it.
They are crucial documents that assist in aiming to meet the child or young person’s needs correctly. They can be provided in mainstream schools, specialist schools and unit provision.
EHCPs are becoming a hot topic in the media and wider society due to government plans for reforms. According to schoolsweek.co.uk “officials are considering a shake up of the EHCP system that would likely lead to a narrowing or new structure of support as part of major SEND reforms. A government adviser has said discussions were ongoing about whether EHCPs should only apply to special school pupils.”
Part of the reason for these reforms are the costs resulting from the huge increase in pupils being issued with an EHCP. According to the Institute of Fiscal Studies, there has been a 71% rise in EHCPs being issued from 2018-2024 and “something has to change”.
The question that follows is: why the increase? While it is impossible to know exactly, there are several theories.
The IFS data stated that some factors are in the rise in pupils with EHCPs has been driven by three specific types of needs: autistic spectrum disorder (ASD); social, emotional and mental health needs (including ADHD); and speech, language and communication needs. It was also suggested that the rises in ASD, ADHD and mental health needs appear to be global phenomena across high-income countries.
I think there is also an increased recognition of special educational needs in this country and the wider society as a whole. The pandemic has exacerbated these issues: some children and young people have been isolated, affecting them socially, physically and mentally.
Smartphones and toxic social media may also be a contribution to low attainment, as they cause problems with sleep, addiction, cyber bulling, social isolation, vulnerability to grooming and more, as evidenced by the charity Compass. Information posted on social media regarding neurodiversity can also be misleading and unhelpful.
The ever -ncreasing variety of children’s needs and the different ways in which they learn has left educational professionals struggling to support these learners. This means that attention for each child is not spread out evenly. The costs associated with the plans is why the government is reportedly looking to change the system, potentially making EHCPs harder to be eligible for. Whitehall may also decide to have the plans only for those in mainstream schools.
This is hugely concerning for many. EHCPs stipulate the support schools are legally required to provide. Otherwise learners may fall behind and what support is needed may not be clear for staff working with these learners. Choosing to cut costs and let learners down is not allowing for their needs to be better met and to thrive in education. Many children have complex needs including resulting from being on the autism spectrum or having dyslexia and hearing problems.
I spoke to Magdalen Wind-Mosley, a governor at a local primary school which has seen their number of EHCP pupils rise dramatically in recent years. She strongly believes that early intervention is the most cost-effective solution for society. However expensive EHCP is, she feels it is much cheaper than adult social care or even criminal repercussions for children who leave school with no qualifications or literacy skills.
According to the parent forum SpecialNeedsJungle.Com, “EHCPs have meant that many children who may otherwise have had to go into a special school, have been able to get the help they needed in mainstream. Indeed, most families want their children to be included in mainstream schools and EHCPs funding teaching assistants and speech and language therapists have enabled them to do this.”
The report goes on to say that “we do know the government favours creating resourced provision and units in mainstream schools. Children generally need EHCPs to get this kind of placement. So the notion that only children in specialist provision should get an EHCP is only going create more applications and worsen the overcrowding in specialist provision of all kinds, unless schools get the training and funding they need to be able to support a wider range of needs well.”
I also think that if state schools had enough funding to reduce class sizes in general then all pupils would benefit, including those with EHCPs.
Some people have the view that LAs should be able to create their own new schools for this, and not rely on the private or non-maintained sector to provide special education. These charge whatever fees they want (which the LA has to pay) and obviously make a profit in the process. This is the view of a retired staff member of West Berkshire’s education department with whom I spoke on 2 July. She also feels that the LAs have better expertise in specialist education than the private sector.
I would be concerned about this. To oversee this very specialist education requires highly skilled staff in this area, something which not all local authorities have access to. Additionally, some local authorities appear less supportive than others when it comes to helping children with SEN.
If this is an issue that is affecting you, please speak to your local MP. Helpful information and support can be found at the website Special Needs Jungle.
Ellie Wheatley
Year 12
Mary Hare School
