While campaigners have warned against the move, ministers are said to be considering ditching the current system of education, health and care plans (EHCPs), which are legally binding documents issued to give children specialist classroom support.
If students need extra help, an EHCP is issued to provide support beyond what mainstream schools, nurseries or colleges can offer.
The number of new plans which started during 2024 also grew by 15.8 per cent on the previous year, to 97,747.
Finland is cited by many experts as the model for providing special needs education. The national constitution requires that every child has the right to quality education and care, and pre-primary education for all children, no matter their needs, is free and funded by the taxpayer.
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If further support is required after this intervention, a medical assessment is carried out, and a final decision is made by the local authority on how to provide the best assistance. Most of these students remain in regular classrooms under Finland’s inclusive model, but may have some form of part-time special education. It is very rare for students to be moved to separate SEND schools.
Around 9 per cent of students receive some form of special support, while 11 per cent receive intensified support.
Netherlands
Schools are required to offer support to students with special needs as much as possible within regular education. Only when regular schools cannot meet the student’s needs are special schools recommended.
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Support is also directed through regional groups of schools that pool resources and decide how to best deploy funding to support students with special needs. Before 2014, funding was allocated to individual students, but now it is pooled and managed at the regional level.
The Netherlands, however, also suffers from long waiting lists for SEND diagnoses and placements in separate special schools.
Number of children who receive SEND provision in the Netherlands: 72,311 (2021/22)Germany
While support varies between states, students receive some form of individual support plan for tailored education. In Berlin and Hamburg, there is a strong focus on keeping students in mainstream education as far as possible, while other states rely more heavily on dedicated special schools. Most states also give parents a say over this decision.
Germany does, however, suffer from limited resources in some states and lower quality staff training compared to other nations like Finland or Canada. There are also vast regional disparities in quality and available services, with larger cities often providing the best support.
Number of children who receive SEND provision in Germany: 491,196 (2021/22)France
For those who need more significant and specialised support, special education centres are almost entirely attached to existing schools so students can still integrate part-time into regular classes with support.
Despite law requiring inclusion, this is not always possible in practice due to funding and resources. Some children still attend special institutions because mainstream integration is not always feasible or adequately supported.
Number of children who receive SEND provision in France: 455,951 (2021/22) Read More Details
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