Children with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND)

This topic area covers statistics and information relating to children with special educational needs or disabilities in Hull including local strategic need and service provision. Further information relating Learning Disabilities is also available under Vulnerable Groups which includes information on prevalence among both children and adults, as well as the numbers of people with learning disabilities using council services, and the number of people with diagnosed learning disabilities who are in appropriate accommodation and who are employed. Further information can also be found on Neurodiversity under Health Factors within both Children and Young People and Adults.

This page contains information from the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities’ Fingertips. Information is taken ‘live’ from the site so uses the latest available data from Fingertips and displays it on this page. As a result, some comments on this page may relate to an earlier period of time until this page is next updated (see review dates at the end of this page).

Headlines

• A child or young person has Special Educational Needs or Disability (SEND) if they have a learning difficulty or disability which needs additional or different provision than most children of the same age.
• Further to the Children and Families Act 2014, children and young people (under the age of 25 years) who have special educational needs may have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, developed by all professionals and the family working together, to address all needs that a child or young person has within education, health and care.
• Most children with SEND are supported in school without the requirement of an EHCP (which brings additional funding) All schools must provide what is known as ‘SEN Support’ before they consider an EHCP.
• For the 2023/24 school year, 8,774 pupils were on a EHC plan or required SEN support equating to 19.7% of all pupils in Hull which was higher than England (18.4%). The rate in Hull was around 17% between 2015/16 and 2017/18 so has increased slightly in recent years to 18.3% in 2022/23 with a much larger increase in the last year. Some of the increase could be due to increased awareness and better recording.
• The prevalence of special educational needs is higher amongst disadvantaged pupils when compared non-disadvantaged or ‘other’ pupils.
• SEND needs fall into four broad categories: Communication and Interaction (for example, speech and language needs); Cognition and Learning (for example, difficulties with memory or a specific difficult affecting one part of their learning, such as reading); Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties (for example, difficulty in managing relationships); sensory or physical needs (for example, visual or hearing impairments)
• Speech, language and communication needs, moderate learning difficulty, specific learning difficulty and social, emotional and mental health were the most commonly identified primary needs of pupils with SEN in Hull.
• Boys were more likely than girls to have an EHC plan and also more likely to require SEN Support.

The Population Affected – Why Is It Important?

Every child deserves to lead a fulfilling life and the opportunity to flourish in school, regardless of their Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). When learning difficulties are not picked up and met early, they can go onto impact negatively on self esteem, on confidence, engagement in learning and on life chances. In addition, children develop quickly in the early years, so the earlier the intervention, the greater the impact it will have.

Following the Children and Families Act 2014, there are two levels of Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision in schools. Children and young people (under the age of 25 years) who have SEN may have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, developed by all professionals and the family working together, to address all needs that a child or young person has within education, health and care. An EHC plan is the highest level of SEN provision. Children with a learning disability assessment should have an EHC plan.

Lower levels of SEN are addressed by pupils being in receipt of SEN Support. Under the Children and Families Act 2014, all pupils with SEN must have an identified primary need.

All early years and education providers are responsible for doing their best to ensure that special educational needs are met. This involves identifying needs early and ensuring that parents, children and young people are at the centre of decision making. All teachers must have high aspirations for children with SEND. The school Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) has a key role, assessing, planning and reviewing progress, alongside the child and their parents.

The Hull Picture

The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities’ Fingertips presents information on the percentage of school age children with an EHC plan or in receipt of SEN Support.

In 2023/24, there were 19.7% of pupils with special educational needs on a EHC plan or in receipt of SEN support which was higher than England (18.4%) and the region (18.3%).

The rate in Hull was around 17% between 2015/16 and 2017/18 so has increased slightly in recent years with a relatively sharp increase in the last year to a new high in 2023/24. Some of this increase could be due to increased awareness and better recording.

There were 8,774 pupils in Hull with an EHC plan or in receipt of SEN Support in 2023/24 which is a large increase from 2022/23, and an even larger increase from earlier years.

More detailed information can be also found in the Joint Needs Assessment for Children with special educational needs and disabilities which was published in 2021/22. An updated version has not been made available.

Please note that this needs assessment was being updated by Children’s, Young People and Family Services within Hull City Council and was due to be completed early 2024. If you require further information, please contact Children’s, Young People and Family Services within Hull City Council directly on 01482 300300 or via the main Hull City Council website.

Strategic Need and Service Provision

As a good education is very important for future health and wellbeing, it is essential that children are ready for school, and that children and young people are able to maximise their achievements whilst at school in order that they can have good employment prospects and fulfilling lives. Some will need input from specialist services to reach their potential, such as Speech and Language Therapy. Local Authorities must ensure their ‘Local Offer’ informs parents what services are available and how to access them. Parents should also be included in decision-making about services, as equal partners.

Resources

Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Joint Needs Assessment. Hull City Council, 2021/22.

The Office for Health Improvement & Disparities’ Fingertips: https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/

Updates

This page was last updated / checked on 1 July 2025.

This page is due to be updated / checked in August 2025.