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Join us in this blog to explore the crucial insights that will shape the future of education support
The Children's Commissioner launched an unprecedented school census, using statutory powers for the first time to gather comprehensive data from schools and colleges across England. For SEND professionals in local authorities, this report contains crucial insights that will shape the future of education support services.
The Commissioner calls for a fundamental shift away from 'special', a term children find stigmatising, to 'additional', because most children will need something extra from the adults in their lives at some point over their childhood. This is about recognising that nearly 4 in 10 (37%) of children will need additional support with learning at some point in their education, and 25% will need a social worker.
The report reveals a critical gap in the current approach. The current system focuses on three main routes for support: pupil premium, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and support for looked-after children. This doesn't capture the full complexity of children's lives. The Commissioner argues that wider needs are too often either unrecognised or inappropriately channelled through SEND systems that weren't designed for this purpose.
The census shows that schools are stepping far beyond their traditional roles. School leaders understand that they have benefitted from the energy, investment and focus of reform, in ways that other services – wider children's services, early help services, youth services, youth justice services, services for disabled children, mental health services and family support, simply did not.
However, this heroic effort by schools isn't consistently supported or coordinated across the country. Schools are filling gaps in wider services without the proper structures or resources to do so effectively.
The Children's Plan calls for several significant changes that will directly impact how local authorities operate:
A new statutory framework for multi-agency working with greater delivery capacity across children's services. This means stronger partnerships between education, health, and social care at the local level.
More specialist staff positioned within schools, with integrated specialist provision. Local authorities will need to consider how to deploy their specialist SEND workforce more effectively within educational settings.
Where they need support to access that school, it must be delivered in their local community. Where they might need to speak to a specialist, that too should be local. This emphasis on local delivery will require authorities to rethink service distribution and accessibility.
A unique identifier system to make the state easier to navigate for children, parents and professionals – potentially transforming how different agencies share information and coordinate support.
The Commissioner frames this as fundamentally about children's rights: "We shouldn't tell children there is something wrong with them because we can't support them." The goal is an education system that is inclusive by design, where all schools are equipped to meet the needs of all children.
For SEND professionals, this signals a move towards:
The Commissioner's vision is ambitious: "Great teaching remains the single most powerful driver of success... But, for some children, it must be part of something broader that recognises the pastoral, social, emotional, and moral role that teachers have always played."
This isn't about creating parallel systems, but ensuring that brilliant teaching is supported by robust multi-agency partnerships, well-resourced children's services, and properly funded specialist staff.
To access the full Children's Plan report and supporting evidence:
The Government's Schools White Paper is expected to respond to these recommendations. For SEND professionals, staying informed about these developments will be crucial as the sector prepares for what the Commissioner calls "the next great education reform."
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