Are you aware of the amount of SEN/additional needs pupils in class?

[yetiflowerpumpkin]

I’ve put this in chat rather than anywhere else because I just want to highlight the scale of SEN/additional needs in schools. In my experience, and reading on MN, some parents aren’t aware of the issues school staff face in supporting these students.

I am an experienced cover teacher in a medium sized primary school. In the classes I cover there are 25-30 children.

As an example, in two of the classes 75% of the pupils have additional educational needs. Some are diagnosed, others are on the (years long) waiting list. Some have multiple needs (Autism, ADHD, AuDHD, SEMH, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, physical/visual impairment and other medical needs, some life threatening). I don’t think in any class I cover there is less than 40%.

I think some parents think their child is the only child with needs in class and cannot understand why those needs are sometimes not met. In the ideal world all those needs would be met, but there isn’t a possibility in mainstream with lack of support staff, lack of space and lack of funding.

I try and do my best (my own family are neurodivergent) but I know my best isn’t good enough for some parents.

Does it surprise you the amount of additional needs there are in class?

The teacher told me when we were reviewing my DCs EHCP. Of course they don't all wear a badge, what a stupid comment to make to someone with a disabled child.

So many children now have SEN's.

Why isn't this being investigated as a matter of urgency?

We did not have this issue in the '70's. I lived it. I concede there may have been a few kids that had some minor SEN's in the school that were missed. But there was nowhere near the level we have today.

It needs investigating. The reasons for this massive increase. Something is very wrong. And schools need resources to accommodate this change that is happening to children neurodevelopmentally.

@Theonlywayicanloveyou I’m extremely cross about the absolute destruction of childhood caused by Michael gove and other over the last two decades

Yes, this x 100. I think future historians will look back in horror to the current period and consider the state education system to be appallingly bad for all our children.

How are you going to do that? We just advertised for 4 TAs. We had one applicant, who was not even considered…..

Not surprised to read this OP. My son’s class of 30 pupils is certainly about 35% - 40% SEN. I know because I am friendly with many of the parents and also the children talk about their SEN openly. My son will come home talking about ‘so and so has ADHD/diabetes/autism/dyslexia’ etc.

It’s difficult because without doubt SEN children need to feel safe and supported in school. But the lack of teaching resources means that a huge amount of time in the classroom is given over to managing the SENs and means that my NT son is assumed to be fine and is largely left to get on with things with minimal input beyond basic teaching.

It’s no one’s fault but it’s unfortunate and does mean my son is often bored at school and goes through periods where he doesn’t want to go in.

The answer is more SEN-dedicated settings and more teaching support. But I think hell will freeze over before the necessary money is spent on making it happen.

In the meantime, kids of all abilities are let down.

In the 70s, people like my cousin who was born premature wouldn't have survived. Amongst other things, he has lung disease and Autism

Yep, this.

Thanks for all your posts on this thread btw.

I was about to query this too. I was at school in the 60/70s, there was no ‘SEN’. I do recall in senior school 3 pupils who ( with today’s understanding) were almost certainly SEN. The rest? No.

I went to many schools (military) and that was the sum total of my experience.

so I am genuinely intrigued what on earth has happened in the (albeit quite large) intervening years?

Maybe it also has something to do with the fact that teachers in the 70s were still allowed to beat send children into submission

Okay. So we've established one of the potential reasons. Prem babies.

When I was at school in the 60s/70s none of the kids were special needs. What on earth has happened?? I have my ideas but I’d probably be “cancelled”.

Just because you couldn't see their SEN doesn't mean it didn't exist

The second TA was added due to my child having an EHCP, the EHCP was is place before he started. Maybe the difference is area dependent, quality of early years education, number if ESL pupils, quality of facilities and staff training at the school.
Have you worked in a school for 5 years or has it just been the last 5 years that there has been an increase? That would tie in with covid times.

I think there has to be some correlation plus socio economics may play a part

That's interesting. I thought that TA positions were quite competitive - I know it's low wage but working school hours and getting the holidays off suits a lot of mums in particular. Do you think it's more difficult to recruit than it used to be?

Yes I’m sure thinking back there were dc with SNs in school with me

Which was already mentioned at some point earlier in the thread. Then the poster called @VikaOlson has directly answered you and given several other factors.

Screens probably make eyesight a lot worse?

As it’s only in more recent years that females have been ‘allowed’ to be affected by ADHD/ADD, I’m sort of surprised OP is surprised?

I had soooo many school reports complaining I was the class daydreamer & “ if only she would concentrate she would do well”. Nobody ever wondered if I could have been better helped,…another reason for stopping boarding school??

In my class of Y3/4 children I have 20 children.
4 EHCPs some of which contradict each other, 4 others already on the SEN register
2 that need to be added, and 2 others with mild needs - dyslexia and mild deafness which do not cause too much difficulty but do need consideration when planning, teaching etc.
I have to share a TA with the other KS2 class.
One of the children cannot go to the toilet independently as he gets scared of the lights, the dryer, the flush (autism).
One has PDA and trauma issues that cause me to evacuate the classroom when he gets overwhelmed and throws chairs.
This very much distresses the child who has autism.
I have 6 who cannot read and write independently.
I try hard to make my classroom inclusive.
SEN plans, paperwork, adapting lessons, creating resources, individual timetables, curriculum, brain breaks, movement breaks, busy boxes, sensory circuits, interventions. All of this takes hours!!!
This is not inclusion - No one is getting what they need or deserve. Not the SEN children, not the other children, definitely not me!

I can’t go on trips, have visitors in, can’t do courses if it would mean having an outside supply teacher.

I am exhausted!

There were definitely some kids in my class at school 30-35 years ago who were ND and undiagnosed. But we didn’t have what DD1’s class has, which is kids who are violent in class, throwing chairs, trying to hit the teacher, having to be routinely removed from the class but always being returned so the cycle continues. We did have a couple of kids come in from what was referred to as ‘the special school’ for isolated lessons. These were generally autistic children who had a one to one at all times. I think quite a few of those children would nowadays be put into mainstream education, inappropriately IMO.

It’s depressing to listen to DD1 talk about what’s gone on in the classroom sometimes and the amount of teaching time that has to go in to dealing with it. Some of these children should not be in a mainstream classroom environment.

This 100%

Yep!

If I look back on my school time I can name some of the kids that were also SEND but were naughty boys and stimming girls!

Yes, the combination of the Gove reforms and the austerity cuts were disastrous for education, imo. As well as reducing the support available in schools as you note, additional community provisions were cut to the bone or removed, such as SureStart for parents of pre-school children and youth clubs for teenagers. Plus the threshold for social services support were raised, so low-level input to help struggling parents, which may have headed off problems in previous decades, has not been available for the current generation.

There is - all those working in SEN education are waiting with bated breath for the new (much delayed) white paper which is now due out early 2026. These are we’ll know issues and have been left to get worse. It’s now so bad that I doubt the new white paper will be a drop in the ocean to what is actually needed.