The number of pupils in Island schools that need Special Educational Needs (SEN) support has risen for the 4th time in 4 years (up to 5.4%) with 1-in-18 children needing classroom assistance.
The Isle of Wight already has higher than average figures and increases when compared with the South East and nationally.
Funding from The Isle of Wight Council is allocated to deliver the provision in Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) with it only applying to children with EHCPs in mainstream schools up to year 11 – this increase is likely to affect budgeting at schools also.
Comments on the latest SEN statistics, Peter Shreeve Assistant District Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“Latest statistics show yet another unprecedented rise in pupils needing SEN support. The percentage of pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) nationally is 4% (up from 3.7% the previous year), as is those, who have no EHCP, but receive SEN support. Now at 12.6% (up from 12.2%).
“Island figures have risen again showing 5.4% of pupils with an ECHP up from 5%. That is 74 more children with an ECHP taking the total island number to 968.
“Those receiving SEN support now stands at 15% up from 13.6% last year. This SEN need equates to 2,669 – a rise of 242 Island children requiring schools to provide much needed additional support from their often-overstretched budgets. Just as troubling is the significant and worrying historical rise every year since 2018/19.”
The full report can be read at – https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/3a42f610-13e6-4bde-96ba-9dc07a1b1b00
Perhaps if the kids had more interaction with the parents at home, rather than being stuck in front of a screen playing games, then they would be less likely to be emotionally disadvantaged, less anxious as they would be used to dealing with difficult situations.
the social workers and teachers seem to spend too much time wrapping kids in a comfort blanket, rather than making them face adversity, which is precisely what they will get, when they are adults – schools are supposed to prepare kids for adult life, not create a bubble of “everyones a winner”, when real life isn’t like that.
Many of these children are not of British decent and need costly one to one help where English is not their first language
The cost is astronomical but kept very quiet.
That’s not correct, not special educational needs just cause English not 1st language. Any how not 2700 non English speaking children on IOW.
*descent.
Ironic.
Is this because these poor kids are not being given enough quality time and attention from their parents?
Being a good parent doesn’t mean you go out and buy the best mobile phone or tablet money can buy!
Kids need to get out of the house and into the real world. Experience life, nature, the countryside, animals. Spending time with their parents who have time for them.
Get off your phones, your tablets, off that games console and experience being outside having a fun time. This is what a lot of kids these days are missing out on and why so many have problems.
COVID and lockdowns will have played a huge part in this. The numbers will only increase as little ones who grew up with no socialisation and the inability to see people’s faces will not have developed as they should during those crucial early years.
If more children are now getting some support, it is not necessarily bad news is it.
Go back 10-15 years and many schools were fumbling in the dark with their SEN provision.
Indeed and it needs to rise much further. The Isle of Wight council are notorious for making it difficult to get an EHCP. Instead they prefer dumping these children on schools with already hard pressed budgets. Of course some people would like to go back to a time where these children were ignored or classed as difficult.
Most of us would rather see our taxes reduced and not be expected to pay out for children who are turning up at school without the most basic life skills, because the parents are too lazy to have done the work required.