Children with special educational needs and disabilities

Children and young people with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP)

The number assessments for EHCPs, and the number of pupils with an EHCP has been rising every year since the introduction of the Children and Families Act (2014).

Number of EHCPs (calendar years)

The percentage of pupils in schools with an EHCP has followed a similar pattern.  This is in line with the national picture. The percentage has been rising since 2015/16 with the table below showing this pattern for 2019/20 to 2024/25. The percentage of the school population with an EHCP has risen from 2.9% in January 2020 to 5.5% in January 2025.  The national average has risen slightly less from 3.4% to 5.3%.

Percentage of Pupils on Roll in Maintained School with an EHCP

This table shows the type of school that pupils with an EHCP go to.  It compares Calderdale with the regional and England average.

The placement of children and young people with EHCP January 2025
(source: DFE – Education Health and Care Plans -(SEND2 – EHCPS supported by Calderdale)

Total number of EHC plans

• England: 638,745
• Yorkshire and Humber: 57,864
• Calderdale: 2,556

When a request for an EHC Needs Assessment is made, it comes to the Special Education Needs (SEN) team. The requests are looked at by a multi-agency panel who decide whether to carry out the Needs Assessment. The table below shows a breakdown of decisions to assess and not to assess.

EHC Needs Assessment request breakdown of assess and not to assess

*2025 data is up until June 2025

If the decision is made to do an Assessment, all new EHCPs should be completed within 20 weeks. In Calderdale this target has been met on significantly more occasions than regionally or nationally.

Percentage of new EHC plans issued within 20 weeks (January SEND2 for previous 12 months)

If it is decided that an EHCP isn’t needed, there is a mediation and appeal process.  This table shows the number of mediation and appeal cases in Calderdale compared to the regional and England average.

Mediation cases which were followed by appeals to the SEN tribunal in 2024 (January 2025 SEND2)

Children and young people on SEN support

SEN support includes those children and young people with specialist educational needs and disabilities who do not meet the level required for an EHC plan. The support for their additional needs is school-based and funded from the schools ‘national’ SEN budget of up to £6,000 per pupil. 

% of pupils on roll at SEND Support

The percentage of pupils with SEN support in Calderdale has increased over the past two years.  It is now rising at a similar rate to the national average, but overall the rate remains below the national average.

Children and young people with SEND in educational settings

In Calderdale the percentage of pupils with SEN in all state funded schools is slightly lower to those in Yorkshire and Humber and England due to a lower proportion at SEND Support, but with a slightly higher proportion with EHCPs.

Early education

In Calderdale the percentage of pupils with SEN in funded early education is similar to the England average and slightly lower than Yorkshire & Humber.

Percentage of 2-year-old children benefitting from funded early education and 3- & 4-year-olds benefitting from universal funded early education with identified SEN January 2025

In Calderdale the percentage of pupils with SEN benefitting from extended funded early education is higher than the regional and England average.

Percentage of 3-year-old children benefitting from extended funded early education January 2024     Working parents

Percentage of 4-year-old children benefitting from extended funded early education January 2024     Working parents

Primary school

In Calderdale the percentage of pupils with SEN in state funded primary schools is similar to Yorkshire & Humber; but significantly higher than England. 

Overall percentages of pupils with SEN in primary schools 2024/25

Secondary school

In Calderdale the percentage of pupils with SEN in state funded secondary schools is significantly lower than Yorkshire & Humber and England.

Overall percentages of pupils with SEN in secondary schools 2024/25

Specialist school

In Calderdale all pupils with SEN in state funded specialist schools all have an EHCP, whereas in England and Yorkshire and Humber some specialist schools have pupils on SEN Support.

Overall percentages of pupils with SEN in specialist schools 2024/25

SEN units and resourced provision

There are currently 50 primary pupils and 20 secondary phase pupils in Resourced Provisions. There are no SEND Units in Calderdale.

16 and 17 year olds in education and training

Percentage of 16 and 17 year olds recorded in education and training 2023

Post-16 education

Of the EHCP cohort, as at May 2025

• 36% are in school sixth forms compared to 18% of other students.
• 48% are in further education compared to 37% of other students.
• 3% are in employment compared to 16% of other students
• 8% are not in education, employment or training (NEET) compared to 6% of others in the age range.

The ‘primary needs’ of children and young people with SEND 2024/25

The ‘primary need’ is the main reported need for the child or young person, but it is possible that there is more than one identified specialist educational need or disability.

In Calderdale state funded primary schools there is slightly higher proportions of ASD and MLD primary needs and a lower proportion of SLCN. Other variations are very small.

Primary schools

State Funded Primary Schools: % of SEND Pupils by Primary Need - January 2025

Secondary schools

In Calderdale state funded secondary schools there is a slightly higher proportion of ASD and MLD primary needs and slightly lower proportions of SEMH and SLCN primary needs, with other variations being very small.

State Funded Secondary Schools: % of SEND Pupils by Primary Need - January 2025

Specialist schools

In Calderdale state funded specialist schools there is a higher than average proportion of students with ASD and, particularly, SLD. Conversely the proportions with primary needs of MLD and SEMH are below national averages, with small variations for other primary needs.

State Funded Specialist Schools: % of SEND Pupils by Primary Need - January 2025

Outcomes for pupils with specialist needs support

The cohort of pupils with EHC plans in Calderdale is small and the needs of the pupils are complex, therefore the cohort has not been compared to national figures.

The cohort at specialist needs support is larger and it is therefore appropriate to use national comparisons to inform our analysis of data.  Provision is effective resulting in pupils achieving well by the end of Key Stage 4, with specialist needs support achieving above the same group nationally.  A multi-agency approach through the authority’s ‘Mind the Gap’ campaign is underway to ensure that the gaps close sooner and outcomes improve by the end of early years and the primary phase.

Inequalities

Calderdale’s annual school health and wellbeing survey is completed by all mainstream secondary schools and 90% mainstream primary schools, with students in Year 5, 6, 7 and 10 taking part.  It provides a robust source of data, using externally validated measures. 

In the tables below, cells coloured red represent figures that are significantly worse than the average; amber are similar; and green are significantly better. 

The survey asks students about their school experience. Results from the 2025 survey reveal that students with SEND, and those in other marginalised groups, are statistically significantly less likely to feel safe in school, to feel a sense of belonging in school, and to feel that teachers care about them as a person.

Percentage of respondents who agree or strongly agree with the following statements

The survey also contains measures of “hope and aspiration”, allowing us to monitor progress towards our strategic goal.  Results from the 2025 survey reveal that marginalised groups, including children and young people with SEND, are less likely to agree or strongly agree with positive statements about key enablers of health and wellbeing, and hope and aspiration. They are also less likely to agree with statements about their hopes and aspirations for the future.  It is particularly notable that fewer children and young people with SEND feel that they have the same opportunities as others and feel that people like them don’t have much chance in life.

Calderdale’s annual school health and wellbeing survey is completed by all mainstream secondary schools and 90% mainstream primary schools, with students in Year 5, 6, 7 and 10 taking part.  It provides a robust source of data, using externally validated measures. 

In the tables below, cells coloured red represent figures that are significantly worse than the average; amber are similar; and green are significantly better. 

The survey asks students about their school experience. Results from the 2025 survey reveal that students with SEND, and those in other marginalised groups, are statistically significantly less likely to feel safe in school, to feel a sense of belonging in school, and to feel that teachers care about them as a person.

Percentage of respondents who agree or strongly agree with the following statements

Percentage of respondents who agree or strongly agree with the statements below

Services provided for children with SEND are set out in Calderdale’s Local Offer. (A requirement of the Children and Families Act 2014.) It is updated often, setting out all of the services available to young people, parents and carers of children with SEND. This includes mainstream, targeted and specialist services:

• Key working/person centred principles.
• Universal services, such as Children’s Centres, youth clubs, Sports zone, nurseries, libraries, play schemes and pools.
• Targeted services such as Sports zone, swimming, ‘Jam packed summer’, Gateway and early years support.
• Portage and early years support teachers (PEYST) plus other SEN support Early years quality improvement support officers.
• Early years providers are encouraged to provide their own local offer details.
• Family services offer information and guidance on support services: finance, health, behaviour, parenting, relationships and family leisure activities.
• Schools (mainstream/special) and details of SEN provision offered.
• Support for parents and young people, helping to find the right advice and support quickly.
• Care services to supporting individuals through to adulthood.
• Specialist health care available.
• Transition through education.
• Preparing for adulthood; support to help young people find work and live as independently as possible.
• Transition to adults services.
• Unique Ways is a parent carer led organisation supporting disabled children and their families to lead ordinary lives, ensuring the voices of parents and carers are heard.
• The SEND Information, advice and support service (SENDIASS) provides legally based, impartial, confidential and accessible information, advice and support for parents of children and young people with SEN or disabilities about education, health and social care.
• Information about short breaks offered by local voluntary and charitable organisations and Calderdale Council.
• Specialist services such as Direct payments for care services, Disabled children’s team, SEN transport, Specialist health professional support, day time care of disabled, overnight support and Linden Brook respite care. 

The Children and Family Act (2014) requires the participation of children, their parents and young people in making decisions about their own plans and how the duties laid out in the act are developed and implemented.

The views of children and young people with SEND and their families are gathered as part of a child or young person, centred process used for the preparation of individual plans. Help advice and support is available through Unique Ways, Calderdale and Kirklees SENDIASS and the Independent Advice and Support Programme to make sure that their views and aspirations are reflected in completed plans.

Calderdale commissions Unique Ways to carry out an annual survey of parent carers of children and young people with SEND to gather information about their experience of the support and services available. The findings from the survey are used by a wide range of teams, services and workgroups to review and improve services and support.

Unique ways and Family Voice Calderdale, the local parent carer forum, are key partners and representatives from both organisations participate in the strategic and operational workstreams that develop and implement the requirements of the CFA (2014). Family Voice Calderdale and the local authority are developing a ‘Working together’ or ‘Co-production’ policy to ensure that policy and practice is developed with parent and carer representative so that any changes feel that they have been ‘done with’ and not ’done to’ parents and cares.

Calderdale works with the ‘SEND reference group’ a group of young people with SEND, to review and advise on aspects of the duties in the CFA (2104). The group work as part of Calderdale’s ‘Voice and Influence’ team on discrete areas of research into the lived experience of young people with SEND producing and presenting their reports to key partners and forums

VoCalderdale was launched in August 2025. Calderdale’s Voice and Influence Strategy is about making sure young people’s ideas and opinions shape decisions that affect them. The strategy was co-created with and led by children and young people from all of Calderdale’s Youth Voice groups.

Calderdale is planning to launch a series of evaluative questionnaires on the experience of SEN support in schools and the EHC assessment and planning process that will gather the views of children and young people with SEND and their families.

Our local challenges that Calderdale’s SEND and Alternative Provision Strategy 2025-2030 and Action Plan are designed to address include:

• Addressing the needs of the growing numbers of children with complex health conditions who are able to live longer due to improvements in medical treatment.
• Meeting needs and providing interventions early for neurodivergent children, young people and adults. This includes increasing the number of skilled staff supporting inclusive learning in schools and settings through Mainstream Inclusion Calderdale.
• Support for those waiting for an NHS autism/ADHD assessment will continue.
• Improving access to early support, information, advice and handover to specialist services, through the development of an integrated single point.
• Strengthening community networks of both formal and informal support through Family Hubs
• Reviewing the demand and performance of specialist school nursing and specialist therapy services to ensure the needs of children and young people are met in a timely and efficient way. Strengthening the support for children and young people with sensory differences.
• Improving the consistency and quality of SEN support in schools.
• Improving the young person and their family’s experience of transition from children to adult services.
• Continue to increase the numbers of young people with SEND gaining employment.
• Closing the gap sooner in educational outcomes for children with SEN support in Calderdale compared to the same group nationally.
• The expansion of the Mental Health Support Team (MHST) programme in 2025/6 will mean that more children and young people with SEND are able to benefit from mental health support in schools.  From September 2025, mental health practitioners will support schools to take a whole-setting approach to health and wellbeing and to achieve Healthy Schools Award status.
• Implement Mainstream Inclusion Calderdale graduated approach which is the framework across all areas of SEND 0-25.

The Calderdale Disabled Children’s Census show a year on year increase in the number of disabled children over the last three years. This trend is due in part to improved recording and it is therefore difficult to predict if this is likely to continue or not.

The increase in the percentage of pupils with EHC plans in Calderdale, which has risen over the last three years from 2.5% to 2.7%, combined with a projected rise in the school population is likely to result in an increase in the numbers or pupils with EHC plans in Calderdale.

The reduction of the percentage of pupils in Calderdale with SEN support from 12.8% to 11.9% combined with a projected rise in the school population is likely to result in a relatively static number of pupils with SEN support.

Following national, regional and local trends the numbers of children and young people with a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder is likely to increase.

Following national, regional and local trends the numbers of children and young people with social emotional and mental health needs is likely to increase.

Unrecognised, unidentified or undiagnosed specialist educational need or disabilities are likely to result in a significant negative effect on progress and attainment. Therefore early identification and intervention is essential reduce the effect of any specialist educational need or disability. The local area has effective measures in place for identifying specialist educational needs and disabilities as quickly as possible.

The most effective plans and interventions include some or all of the following:

• Involving children and young people with SEND and their parent carers in the preparation of EHC plans or support plans in school.
• Using processes that are child-centred and, where appropriate, multi-disciplinary.
• A good ‘section A’ in an EHC plan, the part that identified the child or young persons aspirations, leads to the most effective plans.
• Plans based on clear, achievable but aspirational outcomes combined with effective tailored provision and robust and timely reviews are likely to be effective.

The assessment and planning process should therefore:

• Focus on the child or young person as an individual.
• Enable children or young people and their parents to express views, wishes and feelings.
• Enable children or young people and parents to be part of decision making processes.
• Be easy for children, young people and parents carers to understand and should use clear ordinary language and images rather than professional jargon.
• Highlight the child or young person’s strengths and capabilities.
• enable the child or young person and those that know them best to say what they have done, are interested in and what outcomes they seek in future.
• Tailor support for individual needs.
• Organise assessments to minimise demands on families.
• Bring together relevant professionals to discuss and agree an overall approach.

• Blackburn, C.M., Spencer, N.J. and Read, J.M. (2010); Prevalence of childhood disability and the characteristics and circumstances of disabled children in the UK: secondary analysis of the Family Resources Survey, BMC Pediatrics,10(21).
• Department for Education (2015): SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years.
• Local Government Association: Local Area SEND report 2018.
• Department for Education (2018): Schools, pupils and their characteristics: January 2018.
• Department for Education: Special educational needs: analysis and summary of data sources.
• Office for National Statistics (2015): Mid year sub national population estimates 2016.
• PHE (2015) Child Health Benchmarking Tool: Pupils with Learning Disability: % of school pupils with Learning Disability.
• Calderdale Local Offer.