Special-needs crisis for 98 per cent of primary schools - as Heads warn Labour VAT raid on private school fees could make it worse

Daily Mail​

03-05-2025

Almost every primary school head has said they cannot cater to all their special needs pupils, amid warnings over Labour 's VAT raid on schools.
A snap poll of 750 heads in the mainstream primary state sector found 98 per cent do not have the resources to meet the needs of all their special needs pupils.
In addition, four in five - 82 per cent - said they have such pupils in mainstream classes because there is no room in specialist provision.
The survey, by the NAHT union, comes amid warnings Labour's VAT on private school fees may force pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) into the state sector.
Many SEND families say they moved their child to private because of poor provision, but are not rich enough to cover the new 20 per cent tax.
A spokesman for parent group Education Not Taxation said: 'Concerns raised by the NAHT reflects what parents across the country have seen.
'One in five children in independent schools have one or more special education needs, and many of these moved to independent schools because state schools could not meet their needs.
'Labour's education tax is forcing SEND children out of independent schools into already strained stated schools, lowering education outcomes for all.'
A snap poll of 750 heads in the mainstream primary state sector found 98 per cent do not have the resources to meet the needs of all their special needs pupils (stock image)
The survey, released at the NAHT's annual conference in Harrogate, found that 94 per cent of heads said meeting the needs of SEND pupils was harder than this time last year.
One respondent said SEND funding in the state sector was 'diabolical' while another said the lack of provision is 'detrimental' to all pupils' education.
A third said: 'Staff have to manage extremely difficult and stressful situations in class without enough support or specialist help and resources while trying to meet the needs of all the other children too.'
Many of the children placed in mainstream settings have an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP) specifying specialist provision but no such places are available to them.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary, said: 'Too many schools have children who should be getting specialist support.
'School leaders are frustrated that they can't fully meet the needs of the pupils in their care, and we know many parents are frustrated too.'
It comes after a High Court case last month revealed Labour considered exempting the 100,000 SEND pupils in private schools from its tax raid but concluded this would cost the Treasury too much.
Pupils with EHCP plans are exempted, but these make up only a small proportion of the total number of those with SEND.