The number of children getting support for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) has risen sharply again to a new record high, government figures show.

Between January 2025 and January 2026, there was a 12.5% increase in the number of children with education, health and care plans (EHCPs) – the legal documents setting out the support they are entitled to.

It is the highest year-on-year increase since EHCPs were introduced over a decade ago, with numbers now over 700,000.

A spokesperson for the Department for Education (DfE) said the figures “show the scale of the challenge we inherited”, adding that they were investing £4bn to bring specialist support into mainstream schools.

“We’re building a system where every school can support every child to thrive, while ensuring those with the greatest needs get the specialist help they need,” they said.

Families of children who need more support than mainstream schools usually provide can apply for an EHCP, which are designed to guarantee extra help for those who need it.

Over 110,000 new plans were issued during the 2025 calendar year. The figures include children and young people up to the age of 25.

The number of plans issued within the statutory timeframe of 20 weeks has decreased slightly, with less than half of plans issued on time.

The number of children and young people with EHCPs in mainstream schools has also increased by over 15% compared to last year – with nearly half of those with EHCPs now attending mainstream schools.

It comes after the government announced its plans to reform the SEND system earlier this year, with a focus on making mainstream schools more inclusive for children with SEND.

After many years of trying to get support for her son, Karen Quinn is currently going through the EHCP process.

Adam is 11 years old and will be going to secondary school in September. For mum Karen, getting an EHCP in place before that transition is crucial.

Adam is autistic and has ADHD and dyslexia. Karen says he’s very bright, but struggles with his writing and emotional regulation. Now in Year 6, she says he has been suspended from school several times and is struggling.

She says trying to secure SEND support “wastes so much of their one little childhood that they have”.

After putting in the EHCP paperwork in February, Karen says the council agreed to assess Adam in May, a couple of months later than expected.

“It’s not massive delays, but every delay is going to impact the transition to high school,” she says.

Karen says the EHCP would need to be issued by the end of June to meet the 20-week timescale targets, but that she doesn’t think it will be in place in time for secondary school in September.

“I just want him to get the help that he needs to be the best that he can be,” she says.

Helyn Clack, cabinet member for children, families and lifelong learning at Surrey County Council, said: “While we cannot comment on the circumstances of individual children, EHCP assessments are governed by national legislation and are considered on a case-by-case basis.

“We would encourage any family with concerns to contact us directly so we can provide clear advice and ensure the appropriate support is considered.”

Under the government’s SEND reform plans, which were released in the spring, fewer children will qualify for EHCPs from 2030.

Instead, all children with SEND – currently over 1.8 million children – will get individual support plans, or ISPs, with EHCPs reserved for those with the most complex needs.

Families and campaigners have raised concerns that this could “strip away” legal rights to support, but the government says this is not the case.

The government’s consultation on the reform plans closed in May.

New guidance on creating inclusion bases in mainstream schools has also been released.

The government says these are dedicated spaces providing targeted teaching and specialist support for those who need it, which it says will put a stop to inconsistent and patchy provision where children feel excluded from the wider school.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told the Today programme she believes that every young person should be able to go to their local school “with their friends” and get a “brilliant education”.

She said high-quality provision for SEND pupils was a “postcode lottery”, but that the reforms would address that.

Jolanta Lasota, chief executive of the Ambitious About Autism charity, said the school environment can make or break a young person’s ability to attend, learn and achieve.

But she said children they had spoken to were also “uncertain” about whether inclusion bases would help them feel supported and included in mainstream school, or become another place where they are “separated, excluded and disengaged”.

Matt Wrack, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, criticised the government for issuing guidance on inclusion before publishing the “long-awaited response to the SEND consultation”.

He said the government was “passing the buck to overstretched schools and overburdened teachers”, adding that they were being asked to adapt without clear expectations of what an inclusive school must provide.

The DfE said the SEND system had been “stretched to breaking point”, and that its investment would help to “train every teacher to better support children with SEND, and give schools the expertise and resources to meet needs earlier”.

Additional reporting by Rahib Khan