Inequalities in support for special educational needs by free school meal eligibility
About 3 mins
Key points
- Pupils eligible for free school meals are approximately twice as likely to receive special educational needs (SEN) support or have education, health and care (EHC) plans than other pupils.
- Over the last nine years the share of pupils receiving special educational needs (SEN) support or on education, health and care (EHC) plans has increased faster for pupils who are not eligible for free school meals.
Education plays an important role in shaping people’s health by influencing factors such as income and employment. In turn, these provide the resources people need to maintain good health, such as access to nutritious food and safe housing. It can also support better health literacy, making it easier for people to understand health information and allowing more informed health choices as a result.
Children with special educational needs and disabilities may need additional support with their education. Unfortunately, not all eligible children are able to access this support and there is significant variation in access depending on their school and local authority.
This chart shows the percentage of pupils in England receiving support for special educational needs from 2015/16 to 2024/25 and the change over time, by free school meal eligibility.
- The proportion of pupils on EHC plans has slightly increased since 2015/16, but growth in receipt of support is significantly faster among pupils who are not eligible for free school meals.
- In 2015/16, 6.2% of pupils eligible for free school meals and 2.2% of pupils who were not eligible were on EHC plans, rising to 9% and 4% respectively by 2024/25.
- Between 2015/16 and 2024/25, the provision of EHC plans increased by 45% for pupils eligible for free school meals compared with an 82% increase for pupils who were not eligible.
- The overall proportion of pupils receiving SEN support has remained fairly consistent since 2015/16, but the proportion of pupils with support has remained the same for pupils who are eligible for free school meals and increased among pupils who are not.
- In 2015/16, 21.3% of pupils eligible for free school meals and 10% of pupils who were not eligible received SEN support, changing to 21.4% and 11.4% respectively by 2024/25.
- Between 2015/16 and 2024/25, the proportion of pupils receiving SEN support remained the same for pupils eligible for free school meals and increased by 14% for pupils who were not eligible.
- The proportion of pupils receiving SEN support fell in 2020/21 for all pupils, but the decrease was more pronounced for pupils eligible for free school meals.
The significant decrease in SEN support provision in 2020/21 aligns with the COVID-19 pandemic, when children on EHC plans were allowed into educational settings but children on SEN support were not eligible to return to school. This resulted in many children not being able to access SEN support during school closures.
- A child is defined as having special educational needs (SEN) if he or she ‘has a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special education provision to be made for him or her’ (Section 20 Children and Families Act 2014).
- SEN support is the first level of support provided to children with special educational needs and is funded by school budgets.
- Children and young people aged up to 25 may have an education, health and care (EHC) plan if they need more support than is available through SEN support. EHC plans are funded by school budgets, as well as local authorities and parents. This analysis includes pupils from reception to year group 14.
- Pupils are eligible for free school meals if they are from families that receive other qualifying benefits such as Income Support or Universal Credit. Free school meal eligibility is frequently used as a proxy for economic disadvantage.
- Data includes all pupils in state-funded nursery, primary, secondary and special schools, non-maintained special schools and state-funded alternative provision schools.
Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England, 2025
