England EHCP Numbers Jump 12.5% to Over 700,000 as On-Time Plans Slip Below Half
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jun 25
England EHCP Numbers Jump 12.5% to Over 700,000 as On-Time Plans Slip Below Half
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jun 25
Summary
Government figures show children and young people with education, health and care plans rose by 12.5% in the year to January 2026, taking the total above 700,000 and marking the biggest annual increase since EHCPs began.
More than 110,000 new plans were issued in 2025, while fewer than half were completed within the 20-week legal deadline, a slight deterioration from the previous year.
Mainstream schools are absorbing more of that demand: EHCP numbers there climbed by more than 15%, with nearly half of all pupils holding plans now in mainstream settings.
The data lands as ministers push SEND reforms that would reserve EHCPs for the most complex cases from 2030, expand individual support plans to more than 1.8 million children with SEND, and back inclusion in mainstream schools with £4 billion.
Families, charities and teachers say delays and unclear expectations risk weakening legal protections and leaving overstretched schools to deliver more support without enough certainty or capacity.