Academic year 2023/24

Special educational needs in England

Data guidance

Published 20 June 2024

Description

This document describes the data included in the ‘Special educational needs in England’ National Statistics release’s underlying data files. This data is released under the terms of the Open Government License (opens in new tab) and is intended to meet at least 3 stars for Open Data (opens in new tab).

The publication methodology, available on the publication report, should be referenced alongside this data. It provides information on the data sources, their coverage and quality as well as explaining methodology used in producing the data.

Coverage

This release provides information on the number of schools and pupils in:

• state-funded primary schools
• state-funded secondary schools
• state-funded special schools
• non-maintained special schools
• state-funded alternative provision schools (includes pupil referral units, alternative provision academies and free schools)
• independent schools

It includes information on:

• pupil numbers, including, SEN provision, SEN type of need, sex, ethnicity, language and free school meals eligibility
• school numbers, including resourced provision, SEN units and approved provisions (special schools only) 

The information is based on data collected via the pupil level spring school census, school level annual school census, general hospital schools census and alternative provision census.

File formats and conventions

Rounding

This dataset has not had suppression applied.

conventions

The following convention is used throughout the underlying data. 

‘x’ Not applicable

‘z’ Not available

Data files

All data files associated with this releases are listed below with guidance on their content. To download any of these files, please visit our data catalogue.

Pupils in all schools, by type of SEN provision - including independent schools and general hospital schools - 2016 to 2024

• Filename: sen_phase_type_new.csv
• Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
• Time period: 2015/16 to 2023/24
• Content:

  Number of pupils in state-funded nursery, primary, secondary and special schools, non-maintained special schools, AP schools and independent schools by SEN provision, type of need and school type

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
ehc_plan	EHC plans
ehc_plan_percent	EHC plans (percent)
hospital_school	Hospital school flag - Yes/No
phase_type_grouping	Phase type of school - Phase (primary, secondary, special, AP school, independent)
sen_support	SEN support/SEN without an EHC plan
sen_support_percent	SEN support/SEN without an EHC plan (percent)
total_pupils	Headcount
type_of_establishment	School type detail - For example - academy converter, community school, independent special

Footnotes

1. Includes state-funded nursery, primary, secondary and special schools, non-maintained special schools, state-funded alternative provision schools and independent schools
2. Includes pupils with SEN support in state-funded schools and pupils with SEN without an EHC plan in Independent schools
3. EHC plans also includes statements of SEN. Statements were phased out from 2014 to 2018

Age and Gender, by type of SEN provision and type of need - 2016 to 2024

• Filename: sen_age_sex_tidy.csv
• Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
• Time period: 2015/16 to 2023/24
• Content:

  Number of pupils in state-funded nursery, primary, secondary and special schools, non-maintained special schools and AP schools by SEN provision, type of need, age and sex.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
breakdown	Breakdown
phase_type_grouping	Phase type of school - Phase (primary, secondary, special, PRU, independent)
primary_need	Primary type of need - (ASD, HI, VI…)
pupil_count	Number of pupils
pupil_percent	Percent of pupils
pupil_sen_status	SEN provision - EHC plan/Statement of SEN or SEN support/School Action/School Action plus

Footnotes

1. EHC plans also includes statements of SEN. Statements were phased out from 2014 to 2018
2. Includes state-funded nursery, primary, secondary and special schools, non-maintained special schools and state-funded alternative provision schools. Does not include independent schools.

Year group, by type of SEN provision and type of need - 2016 to 2024

• Filename: sen_ncyear_.csv
• Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
• Time period: 2015/16 to 2023/24
• Content:

  Number of pupils in state-funded nursery, primary, secondary and special schools, non-maintained special schools and AP schools by SEN provision, type of need and national curriculum year.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
nc_early_years	Early years
nc_early_years_percent	Early years (%)
nc_not_followed	National curriculum not followed
nc_not_followed_percent	National curriculum not followed (%)
nc_reception	Reception
nc_reception_percent	Reception (%)
nc_year_1	Year group 1
nc_year_1_percent	Year group 1 (%)
nc_year_10	Year group 10
nc_year_10_percent	Year group 10 (%)
nc_year_11	Year group 11
nc_year_11_percent	Year group 11 (%)
nc_year_12	Year group 12
nc_year_12_percent	Year group 12 (%)
nc_year_13	Year group 13
nc_year_13_percent	Year group 13 (%)
nc_year_14	Year group 14
nc_year_14_percent	Year group 14 (%)
nc_year_2	Year group 2
nc_year_2_percent	Year group 2 (%)
nc_year_3	Year group 3
nc_year_3_percent	Year group 3 (%)
nc_year_4	Year group 4
nc_year_4_percent	Year group 4 (%)
nc_year_5	Year group 5
nc_year_5_percent	Year group 5 (%)
nc_year_6	Year group 6
nc_year_6_percent	Year group 6 (%)
nc_year_7	Year group 7
nc_year_7_percent	Year group 7 (%)
nc_year_8	Year group 8
nc_year_8_percent	Year group 8 (%)
nc_year_9	Year group 9
nc_year_9_percent	Year group 9 (%)
number_of_pupils	Headcount
phase_type_grouping	Phase type of school - Phase (primary, secondary, special, AP schools, independent)
primary_need	Primary type of need - (ASD, HI, VI…)
pupil_sen_status	SEN provision - EHC plan/Statement of SEN or SEN support/School Action/School Action plus

Footnotes

1. EHC plans also includes statements of SEN. Statements were phased out from 2014 to 2018
2. Includes state-funded nursery, primary, secondary and special schools, non-maintained special schools and state-funded alternative provision schools. Does not include independent schools.

FSM, Ethnicity and Language, by type of SEN provision and type of need - 2016 to 2024

• Filename: sen_fsm_eth_lang_.csv
• Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
• Time period: 2015/16 to 2023/24
• Content:

  Number of pupils in state-funded nursery, primary, secondary and special schools, non-maintained special schools and AP schools by SEN provision, type of need, free school meal eligibility, language and ethnicity.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
ethnicity_any_other_asian_background	Asian - any other Asian background
ethnicity_any_other_asian_background_percent	Asian - any other Asian background (%)
ethnicity_any_other_black_background	Black - Any other Black background
ethnicity_any_other_black_background_percent	Black - Any other Black background (%)
ethnicity_any_other_ethnic_group	Any other ethnic group
ethnicity_any_other_ethnic_group_percent	Any other ethnic group (%)
ethnicity_any_other_mixed_background	Mixed - Any other mixed background
ethnicity_any_other_mixed_background_percent	Mixed - Any other mixed background (%)
ethnicity_any_other_white_background	White - any other White background
ethnicity_any_other_white_background_percent	White - any other White background (%)
ethnicity_bangladeshi	Asian - Bangladeshi
ethnicity_bangladeshi_percent	Asian - Bangladeshi (%)
ethnicity_black_african	Black - Black African
ethnicity_black_african_percent	Black - Black African (%)
ethnicity_black_caribbean	Black - Black Caribbean
ethnicity_black_caribbean_percent	Black - Black Caribbean (%)
ethnicity_chinese	Asian - Chinese
ethnicity_chinese_percent	Asian - Chinese (%)
ethnicity_gypsy_roma	White - Gypsy/Roma
ethnicity_gypsy_roma_percent	White - Gypsy/Roma (%)
ethnicity_indian	Asian - Indian
ethnicity_indian_percent	Asian - Indian (%)
ethnicity_irish	White - Irish
ethnicity_irish_percent	White - Irish (%)
ethnicity_pakistani	Asian - Pakistani
ethnicity_pakistani_percent	Asian - Pakistani (%)
ethnicity_traveller_of_irish_heritage	White - Traveller of Irish heritage
ethnicity_traveller_of_irish_heritage_percent	White - Traveller of Irish heritage (%)
ethnicity_unclassified	Unclassified
ethnicity_unclassified_percent	Unclassified (%)
ethnicity_white_and_asian	Mixed - White and Asian
ethnicity_white_and_asian_percent	Mixed - White and Asian (%)
ethnicity_white_and_black_african	Mixed - White and Black African
ethnicity_white_and_black_african_percent	Mixed - White and Black African (%)
ethnicity_white_and_black_caribbean	Mixed - White and Black Caribbean
ethnicity_white_and_black_caribbean_percent	Mixed - White and Black Caribbean (%)
ethnicity_white_british	White - White British
ethnicity_white_british_percent	White - White British (%)
fsm_eligible	Eligible for free school meals
fsm_eligible_percent	Eligible for free school meals (%)
fsm_not_eligible	Not eligible for free school meals
fsm_not_eligible_percent	Not eligible for free school meals (%)
language_english	First language is known to be, or believed to be English
language_english_percent	First language is known to be, or believed to be English (%)
language_other	First language is known to be, or believed to be, other than English
language_other_percent	First language is known to be, or believed to be, other than English (%)
language_unclassified	First language unclassified
language_unclassified_percent	First language unclassified (%)
number_of_pupils	Headcount
phase_type_grouping	Phase type of school - Phase (primary, secondary, special, PRU (AP school), independent)
primary_need	Primary type of need - (ASD, HI, VI…)
pupil_sen_status	SEN provision - EHC plan/Statement of SEN or SEN support/School Action/School Action plus

Footnotes

1. EHC plans also includes statements of SEN. Statements were phased out from 2014 to 2018
2. Includes state-funded nursery, primary, secondary and special schools, non-maintained special schools and state-funded alternative provision schools. Does not include independent schools.

Secondary need, by type of SEN provision and type of need - 2016 to 2024

• Filename: sen_secondary_need_.csv
• Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
• Time period: 2015/16 to 2023/24
• Content:

  Number of pupils in state-funded nursery, primary, secondary and special schools, non-maintained special schools and AP schools by SEN provision, primary type of need and secondary type of need

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
number_of_pupils	Headcount
phase_type_grouping	Phase type of school - Phase (primary, secondary, special, PRU, independent)
primary_need	Primary type of need - (ASD, HI, VI…)
pupil_sen_status	SEN provision - EHC plan/Statement of SEN or SEN support/School Action/School Action plus
secondary_need_asd	Autistic Spectrum Disorder
secondary_need_asd_percent	Autistic Spectrum Disorder (%)
secondary_need_hi	Hearing impairment
secondary_need_hi_percent	Hearing impairment (%)
secondary_need_mld	Moderate Learning Difficulty
secondary_need_mld_percent	Moderate Learning Difficulty (%)
secondary_need_msi	Multi-sensory Impairment
secondary_need_msi_percent	Multi-sensory Impairment (%)
secondary_need_nsa	SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need
secondary_need_nsa_percent	SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (%)
secondary_need_oth	Other Difficulty or Disability
secondary_need_oth_percent	Other Difficulty or Disability (%)
secondary_need_pd	Physical Disability
secondary_need_pd_percent	Physical Disability (%)
secondary_need_pmld	Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
secondary_need_pmld_percent	Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty (%)
secondary_need_semh	Social, Emotional and Mental Health
secondary_need_semh_percent	Social, Emotional and Mental Health (%)
secondary_need_slcn	Speech, Language and Communications needs
secondary_need_slcn_percent	Speech, Language and Communications needs (%)
secondary_need_sld	Severe Learning Difficulty
secondary_need_sld_percent	Severe Learning Difficulty (%)
secondary_need_spld	Specific Learning Difficulty
secondary_need_spld_percent	Specific Learning Difficulty (%)
secondary_need_vi	Visual impairment
secondary_need_vi_percent	Visual impairment (%)

Footnotes

1. EHC plans also includes statements of SEN. Statements were phased out from 2014 to 2018
2. Includes state-funded nursery, primary, secondary and special schools, non-maintained special schools and state-funded alternative provision schools. Does not include independent schools.