Special Educational Needs and Disability: Understanding Local Variation in Prevalence, Service Provision and Support

The report for this research is now available. This research study, undertaken by the NCB and Thomas Coram Research Unit, Institute of Education, was commissioned by the Department for Children, Schools and Families to explore the nature, extent and implications of local variation in special educational needs prevalence and provision. The research considered hearing impairment and Autistic Spectrum Disorders as exemplar conditions.

Key findings from the report are:

• The study confirmed widespread variation between local authorities, but alongside differences inpractice and provision for children with SEN, there are common trends supported by Aiming High forDisabled Children, such as a move towards greater inclusion and closer working with other agencies.
• There is no simple explanation for the variation found between local authorities. It is likely to be theresult of a number of factors interacting in complex ways that makes it difficult to disentangle causeand effect.
• Some types of variation are inevitable, and not necessarily undesirable. Local authorities approachtheir population of school children in different ways responding to local needs and circumstances.Whilst local variation may sometimes be negatively characterised as a postcode lottery, it may equallybe more positively described as responding to local circumstances. Local variation is clearlyundesirable, however, if it reflects unmet need and inequities in access to, and level of, services.
• Factors supporting best practice include a strong ethos of inclusion, strong and effective multi-agency working, commitment and strong leadership, effective partnerships with all key stakeholders, and anadequate number of skilled staff at all levels.

You can find the full report on the DCSF website here and the research brief here.