Are Mainstream Schools Equipped to Support Special Educational Needs?

It is well established that neurodivergent children find fitting into mainstream schools more challenging that non-neurodivergent children for a variety of reasons. The environment is not always suitable, with harsh lighting and loud classrooms triggering overstimulation, and the workload and pressure put on children can be unmanageable. Furthermore, children who camouflage, or mask, to fit into a neurotypical society often experience regular meltdowns. 

What is Going on Inside our Schools?

Schools in England are facing a dire situation, with a shortage of teachers combined with increasing class sizes making it almost impossible to suit the needs of every child. Furthermore, as of June 2025, over 1.7 million pupils are classified as Special Educational Needs (SEN), a 5.6% increase since 2024, and this figure has been continuously increasing since 2016.  For many students, they are still able to learn and socialise in this environment, but for SEN children, this is often not the case. To the untrained eye, meltdowns and overstimulation can be mistaken for tantrums and bad behaviour, and a lack of focus and not completing tasks can be seen as disobedient or defiant. 

The Spring 23/24 Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions report highlighted that suspensions for SEND students increased by 23%, whilst it only increased by 8% for other students. By law, schools cannot suspend or exclude SEND children for having ‘a disability or additional needs the school cannot meet’. However, unlawful exclusions still exist, under the guise that the child is causing problems independent of their SEN needs, and these figures are indicative of this. 

The results of a survey from earlier this year highlighted that only 33% of SEN children are receiving emotional support, and only 9% are receiving speech, language, and communication support. Additionally, 1/5 of children are not receiving any support at all.

 Increased Support for Neurodivergent Children

In response to the lack of support reported, the UK Government have assigned £9.5 million of funding towards the Partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools, or PINS, programme which was designed to help neurodivergent children of primary school age by training specialists and providing support suited to individual needs. This has been rolled out across 1,600 primary schools and is thought to benefit 300,00 pupils. 

What Happens Next?

Whilst the support from the UK Government is promising, this is only the beginning of a long road ahead, as transformation starts from within. Schools are encouraged to promote inclusion, but in practice, neurodiverse and SEN students are not always treated equally to their non-neurodiverse and SEN peers. Additionally, neurodiversity and SEN are still seen as a taboo subject in certain families and cultures, and this can therefore impact how students are treated.  It is imperative that the focus remains on the children and ensuring their best possible future. They should be supported, not marginalised, and their wellbeing should remain at the forefront of all decisions.  Although figures reflect the opposite, we remain hopeful that the recent spotlight on neurodiversity in schools can result in a truly inclusive environment for all.