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William Eichler 07 January 2026

Need for SEND support in London hits record levels

Need for SEND support in London hits record levels image
© Halfpoint / Shutterstock.com.

The number of children in London requiring special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support has reached record levels, new analysis reveals.

Research by BBC London has found the number has jumped by nearly a third over the last 10 years – from 205,309 in 2015-16 to 267,368 in 2024-25.

According to the analysis of Department for Education (DfE) figures the number of children with autistic spectrum disorder in the capital has increased by 158% from 17,832 in 2015-16 to 46,095 in 2024-2025.

Check out this analysis of the SEND system by Darcey Snape from the think tank Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).

#Education #SEND #London

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