Recommendation 13

Current levels of EHC plans are unsustainable; however, the solution to this cannot be to remove the statutory entitlements from a system which lacks accountability in many other areas and in which parents already have so little trust and confidence. We have heard throughout our inquiry from parents, schools, and the Department for Education that the increased need for EHC plans is due to support not being provided through ordinarily available provision and SEN support, leading to a lack of trust from parents. We have also seen that for many children and young people with less complex needs, high quality support can be provided without a plan. While some pupils will always need an EHC plan, evidence indicates that mainstream schools and multi-academy trusts practising real inclusivity generate fewer EHC plans, as they meet more students’ needs effectively without them. (Conclusion, Paragraph 92)