Unfortunately, for many families, securing an EHCP remains demanding, time consuming and stressful. The process can involve repeated evidence gathering, delayed decisions, incomplete assessments, disagreement about education provision and, in many cases, an anxious wait while parents try to keep their child’s education in place. The challenge for families may get worse before it gets better, with the Government’s SEND reforms coming into force in September 2026.
It was only a couple of months ago that I wrote about the 2025 EHCP statistics and what they meant for parents of children with SEND. The latest Government figures, published on 25 June 2026, show that the pressure on the EHCP system has not eased. The number of children and young people with an EHC plan has continued to rise, requests for EHC needs assessments have increased again, and fewer than half of new plans are being issued within the statutory 20 week timeframe.
The figures from the Government’s recent publication need to be read alongside their wider SEND reform agenda. Earlier this year, in February 2026, the Government published its White Paper, Every child achieving and thriving, setting out reforms to schools and SEND, with a strong emphasis on inclusion of children with special educational needs into mainstream education. The Government has since published further guidance on inclusion, including its 24 June 2026 press release on dedicated teaching and support spaces for children with SEND.
Come September 2026, there will be change in the special educational needs model and that change will continue well into the next decade. For the time being EHCPs remain legally binding documents. Local authorities must still follow the statutory process. Schools and local authorities must still secure the special educational provision set out in Section F of an EHCP. Parents should not be told or accept a suggestion that EHCPs are being “phased out” as a reason to delay, refuse or to dilute support.
The headline picture: more plans, more requests, more pressure and a push towards mainstream inclusion
As at January 2026, there were 718,838 children and young people with an EHC plan in place in England. This is 12.5 percent higher than January 2025, when there were 638,745 plans. The 2025 figure itself was already 10.8 percent higher than January 2024. The January 2024 figure was 576,474, which was 11.5 percent higher than January 2023.
The number of new EHC plans also rose again. During the 2025 calendar year, 110,708 new EHC plans were issued, which is 13.3 percent higher than during 2024. In 2024, 97,747 new plans were issued, up 15.8 percent on 2023. In 2023, 84,428 new plans were issued, up 26.6 percent on 2022.
Requests for EHC needs assessments also continued to increase. In 2025, local authorities received 162,702 requests for an EHC needs assessment, compared with 154,489 in 2024 and 138,242 in 2023. That means requests increased by 5.3 percent in 2025, after an 11.8 percent increase in 2024 and a 20.8 percent increase in 2023.
These statistics show sustained and significant demand. They also explain why many parents are experiencing delays and resistance locally. However, pressure on the system is not a lawful reason for a local authority to miss statutory deadlines, refuse to assess without proper consideration, issue vague provision, or fail to deliver what is recorded in an EHCP.
| Measure | 2024 reporting year | 2025 reporting year | 2026 reporting year |
| EHC plans in place at January | 576,474 | 638,745 | 718,838 |
| Year on year increase | 11.5 percent | 10.8 percent | 12.5 percent |
| New EHC plans issued in the preceding calendar year | 84,428 | 97,747 | 110,708 |
| Requests for EHC needs assessments in the preceding calendar year | 138,242 | 154,489 | 162,702 |
| EHC needs assessments carried out in the preceding calendar year | 91,023 | 105,340 | 118,821 |
| New plans issued within 20 weeks | 50.3 percent | 46.4 percent | 46.1 percent |
Source: Department for Education
What does this mean for parents applying for an EHCP?
The latest data confirms what many families already know from experience. The EHCP system is under considerable strain. In practical terms, that can mean longer waits, more contested decisions, and greater need for parents to be organised and persistent.
The statutory test for an EHC needs assessment has not changed. A local authority must consider whether it may be necessary for special educational provision to be made for a child or young person to be made through an EHCP. That is a relatively low threshold. Parents do not have to prove, at the assessment request stage, every detail of the provision their child will ultimately need. They need to show that the child has SEN and may need an EHCP.
Where a child is struggling in school, not making expected progress, requiring significant support, masking distress, missing school, receiving exclusions or part time timetables, or where school based support is not sufficient, parents should consider whether an EHC needs assessment is needed.
The increase in assessment requests suggests that more families are reaching the point where ordinary special educational needs (SEND) support is not enough, or where they do not have confidence that support will be delivered without the legal framework of an EHCP.
Timeliness: fewer than half of new plans are being issued within 20 weeks
One of the striking figures in the 2026 statistics is timeliness. During 2025, only 46.1 percent of new EHC plans were issued within the statutory 20 week timeframe, excluding cases where statutory exceptions applied. This is slightly lower than the 46.4 percent recorded in 2024 and remains below the 50.3 percent recorded in 2023.
That means that more than half of new plans are not being issued on time.
For many families, the delay in meeting the statutory deadline causes distress and anxiety. Most importantly, the delay in providing support for their child could be causing harm. Twenty weeks is already a long period in a child’s education. A child who is unable to access school, who is in the wrong placement, or whose needs are escalating cannot simply pause while the system catches up. Delay can mean missed learning, increased anxiety, deteriorating mental health, family stress and, in some cases, complete breakdown of placement.
Parents should keep a careful timeline from the date the request for an EHC needs assessment is made. Key points include:
| Stage | Statutory timing |
| Request for EHC needs assessment made | Day 1 |
| Local authority decision whether to assess | Within 6 weeks |
| If assessment is agreed, evidence gathered | As part of the assessment process |
| Decision whether to issue an EHCP | Usually by week 16 |
| Final EHCP issued | Within 20 weeks, unless a statutory exception applies |
Source: Department for Education
If deadlines are missed, parents should press the local authority promptly and in writing. Where necessary, legal correspondence can be effective in moving a delayed process forward.
Will the Government’s SEND reform help children?
In their White Paper, Every child achieving and thriving, the Government said, “We expect that EHCP numbers will increase but at a slower rate through to 2029 to 2030 as we begin to invest in the new system and equip mainstream nurseries, schools and colleges to meet needs earlier. As reforms become embedded, we expect the number of children and young people needing a Specialist Provision Package, and hence an EHCP to access support, will return to around today’s level by 2035, with many more children having their needs met through an ISP (Individual Support Plan) in mainstream (school).”
The White Paper was published before the latest ECHP figures were released, from which we can discern the number of EHCPs is increasing. Importantly, despite the Government forecasting a “slower rate” of increase in the percentage of children having an EHCP, that does not appear to be the case. I consider it too early to say the Government is already falling short, but if next year’s data reveals further substantial increase in the number of EHCPs, it may be legitimate to question whether the Government’s goal for the number of EHCPs returning to pre White Paper figures is realistic.
More assessments, and a high proportion leading to plans
The number of EHC needs assessments carried out also increased. In 2025, local authorities carried out 118,821 EHC needs assessments, which is 12.8 percent higher than during 2024. In 2024, 105,340 assessments were carried out, which was 15.7 percent higher than in 2023. In 2023, 91,023 assessments were carried out.
Placement trends: more children with EHCPs are being educated in mainstream schools
The latest Government data also indicates that more children and young people with EHC plans are being educated in mainstream schools. This is consistent with the Government’s policy direction, which is to strengthen mainstream inclusion and make mainstream settings more able to meet a wider range of SEND needs.
In the 2024 reporting year, 43.3 percent of pupils with EHCPs were in mainstream schools. For the 2025 reporting year, the national figure was reported as 43.6 percent in mainstream settings.
The Government’s White Paper clearly sets out its policy on this issue. It describes an ambition to improve schools and SEND so that every child can achieve and thrive, including by ensuring that those who have been sidelined are included.
The Government plans to deliver high quality adaptive teaching, calm environments and early help when needed. It says that most children are expected to have their needs met through that offer, with further targeted, targeted plus and specialist levels of support for children and young people with additional or complex needs.
For parents, this emphasis on mainstream inclusion will be welcomed if this results in earlier, better and properly funded support. However, inclusion cannot mean simply placing a child in a mainstream classroom without the specialist provision, staffing, therapies, environment and adjustments they need. A mainstream placement can be right for many children with SEND, but only if it is properly supported and genuinely suitable.
Inclusion bases and the Government’s latest guidance
On 24 June 2026, the Government announced new guidance on inclusion for children and young people with SEND. Children and young people with SEND should be able to attend their local school, early years setting or college and know they belong there. It talks of families facing a postcode lottery, travelling miles to access support or waiting months or years to receive it.
The announcement builds on the commitment that every secondary school will, in time, have an inclusion base. Inclusion bases are dedicated spaces providing targeted teaching and specialist support for those who need it. The press release states that inclusion bases will be run by a qualified teacher, must never be used as a sanction, and should allow access to an adapted, broad and ambitious curriculum. The Government says they should act as a bridge to school life, not a barrier to it.
Parents will be concerned if “inclusion” becomes a label for removing children from ordinary lessons without clear purpose, specialist support or reintegration planning. Properly designed, inclusion bases could help children regulate, access specialist teaching and remain connected to their school community. Poorly used, they risk becoming isolation by another name. The release says that where inclusion bases are already used, the results are striking. This is good news, but each parent will want to see inclusion bases work for their child.
The Education Secretary at the time, Bridget Phillipson, said:
“Every child and young person deserves to feel included, without fighting for the support they need to succeed. We are giving schools a clear, practical blueprint to become truly inclusive, from calmer classrooms and sensory-friendly spaces, to specialist support embedded right in the heart of the school, so children can learn alongside their peers rather than miles from home.”
That ambition is positive. The practical test will be whether the resources, workforce and legal protections are sufficient to make it real for individual children.
Gender and Ethnicity: who has an EHC plan?
The 2026 statistics include data on the characteristics of children and young people with EHC plans.
The majority of children and young people with an EHC plan are male. In 2026, 69.8 percent are male and 30.2 percent are female. The percentage of those with an EHC plan who are female is slightly higher than in 2025.
Of children and young people issued with a new EHC plan, 69.5% are white, with 64.8% recorded as English/Welsh/Scottish/Northern Irish/British; 7.6% were Asian/Asian British; and 6.0% were Black/African/Caribbean/Black British.
Elective Home Education and EHCPs
The Government’s placement data also includes children and young people with EHC plans who are recorded as being in Elective Home Education. Some parents choose home education positively and confidently. My experience of speaking to parents is that some move to home education after a school placement breaks down, after prolonged absence, or after feeling that their child’s needs are not being met by a school.
Home education is different from Education Otherwise Than At School, often referred to as EOTAS, where the local authority remains responsible for arranging provision because education in a school setting is not suitable. Parents should be cautious about agreeing to Elective Home Education if what they really need is local authority arranged provision under an EHCP.
Annual reviews: why parents should use them strategically
The annual review process is important. For a child with an EHCP, the annual review is the formal opportunity to consider whether the plan remains accurate, whether outcomes are appropriate, whether provision is being delivered, whether Section F is specific enough, and whether the named placement remains suitable.
After an annual review meeting, the local authority must decide whether to maintain, amend or cease the plan. Parents should make sure they receive the decision in writing and act promptly if they disagree with the outcome of the EHCP annual review.
An annual review can be particularly important where a child is moving into a different phase of their schooling, for example from nursery to primary school, primary to secondary school, or secondary school to post 16 provision. It is also crucial where a placement is breaking down, where a child is out of school, or where parents believe a different type of provision is required.
What parents should take from the 2026 statistics
The latest EHCP statistics tell a clear story.
First, demand for EHC plans continues to rise. More children and young people have plans, more new plans are being issued, and more parents and schools are requesting assessments.
Secondly, meeting deadlines remains a problem. Fewer than half of new plans are issued within 20 weeks. Parents should therefore be ready to monitor deadlines and challenge delay. Parents may feel uncomfortable about complaining, particularly where the system is already overstretched, but being vocal may be the only way to ensure your child receives the support they need, as quickly as possible.
Thirdly, mainstream inclusion is now central to Government policy. That may bring opportunities for better support in local schools, but parents should remain focused on suitability. Inclusion must be real, resourced and specific to your child.
Fourthly, legal rights remain in place. The debate about SEND reform does not remove existing duties. EHCPs remain legally binding. The statutory assessment process remains in force and the right of appeal to the SEND Tribunal remains a vital protection. Furthermore, when the new SEND reforms come into force over the next few years, parents will be entitled to enforce their rights in respect of these new special educational needs support processes.
Finally, parents should not wait until a situation has fully broken down before seeking advice. Early action can make a significant difference, whether that means requesting an EHC needs assessment, challenging a refusal to assess, responding to a draft EHCP, seeking amendments at annual review, or appealing a local authority decision.
Conclusion: the statistics matter, but your child’s plan matters more
The 2026 statistics show a SEND system under increasing pressure. More children and young people have EHC plans than ever before. More families are requesting assessments. Local authorities are completing more assessments, but too many families are waiting too long for decisions and final plans.
At the same time, the Government is clearly moving towards a model of stronger mainstream inclusion. If properly funded and delivered, that could improve support for many children. However, for parents, the essential question remains the same: what does my child need, and is that support clearly recorded, legally enforceable and being delivered?
If you need assistance securing an EHCP for your child, challenging a local authority decision, preparing for or responding to an annual review, wanting to know more about individual support plans, targeted support, targeted support plus, specialist provision packages, inclusion bases or experts at hand, Doyle Clayton can help you understand these issues, your SEND legal rights and your options, to get the best for your child.
