SEND Provision Data/EHC Plans for the Last 5 Academic Years
Case reference FOI2026/01345
Received 10 June 2026
Published 8 July 2026
Request
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please provide the following information relating to children and young people with Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans.
Please provide the data in spreadsheet format where possible.
If any part of this request exceeds the cost limit, please advise how the scope may be refined.
For the purposes of this request:
- Academic years run 1 September to 31 August
- "2020/21" means 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021 (and so on for subsequent years)
- Where "the most recent available date" is asked for, please use the latest date for which data is held
- Where data is not held in the exact format requested, please provide the closest equivalent with a note explaining what has been provided
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REQUEST
Q1. For each of the last 5 academic years (2020/21 to 2024/25), please provide the number of:
(a) EHC needs assessment requests received
(b) EHC plans issued following assessment
(c) EHC plans issued within the 20-week statutory timescale (including any permissible extensions)
(d) EHC needs assessment requests refused If held, please also provide the longest number of weeks taken to issue an EHCP in each year.
Q2. For each of the last 5 academic years, please provide:
(a) Number of SENDIST tribunal appeals registered against the authority
(b) Number proceeding to a full hearing
(c) Number resolved before hearing
(d) Number decided in favour of the parent/carer
Q3. As of the most recent available date, please provide:
(a) Number of full-time equivalent Educational Psychologists employed by the authority
(b) Number of vacant Educational Psychologist posts
Q4. If recorded, what is the current average waiting time (in weeks) for an Educational Psychologist assessment? Please specify how the waiting time is measured.
Q5. As of the most recent available date, how many children with an EHCP are awaiting a specialist school placement arranged by the authority? Of these, how many have been waiting more than 6 months?
Q6. As of the most recent available date:
(a) Number of overdue EHCP annual reviews
(b) Longest overdue annual review (in months)
Q7. For each of the last 5 academic years, how many children with an EHCP were placed in alternative provision? If recorded, please provide the number where this placement was due to a lack of suitable school place.
Q8. For each of the last 5 academic years, what was the total spend on SEND home-to-school transport (including any contracted provision)?
Q9. For each of the last 5 academic years, please provide:
(a) High Needs Block DSG allocation
(b) Actual High Needs Block spend
(c) Resulting surplus or deficit
Q10. For each of the last 5 academic years, how many fixed-term exclusions were issued to pupils with an EHCP?
Q11. For each of the last 5 academic years, please provide:
(a) Number of SEND-related complaints received
(b) Number escalated to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
(c) Number upheld or partially upheld by the Ombudsman
Response
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please provide the following information relating to children and young people with Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans.
Please provide the data in spreadsheet format where possible.
If any part of this request exceeds the cost limit, please advise how the scope may be refined.
For the purposes of this request:
- Academic years run 1 September to 31 August
- "2020/21" means 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2021 (and so on for subsequent years)
- Where "the most recent available date" is asked for, please use the latest date for which data is held
- Where data is not held in the exact format requested, please provide the closest equivalent with a note explaining what has been provided
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
REQUEST
Q1. For each of the last 5 academic years (2020/21 to 2024/25), please provide the number of:
(a) EHC needs assessment requests received
(b) EHC plans issued following assessment
(c) EHC plans issued within the 20-week statutory timescale (including any permissible extensions)
(d) EHC needs assessment requests refused If held, please also provide the longest number of weeks taken to issue an EHCP in each year.
Q2. For each of the last 5 academic years, please provide:
(a) Number of SENDIST tribunal appeals registered against the authority
(b) Number proceeding to a full hearing
(c) Number resolved before hearing
(d) Number decided in favour of the parent/carer
Q3. As of the most recent available date, please provide:
(a) Number of full-time equivalent Educational Psychologists employed by the authority
(b) Number of vacant Educational Psychologist posts
Q4. If recorded, what is the current average waiting time (in weeks) for an Educational Psychologist assessment? Please specify how the waiting time is measured.
Q5. As of the most recent available date, how many children with an EHCP are awaiting a specialist school placement arranged by the authority? Of these, how many have been waiting more than 6 months?
Q6. As of the most recent available date:
(a) Number of overdue EHCP annual reviews
(b) Longest overdue annual review (in months)
Q7. For each of the last 5 academic years, how many children with an EHCP were placed in alternative provision? If recorded, please provide the number where this placement was due to a lack of suitable school place.
Q8. For each of the last 5 academic years, what was the total spend on SEND home-to-school transport (including any contracted provision)?
Q9. For each of the last 5 academic years, please provide:
(a) High Needs Block DSG allocation
(b) Actual High Needs Block spend
(c) Resulting surplus or deficit
Q10. For each of the last 5 academic years, how many fixed-term exclusions were issued to pupils with an EHCP?
Q11. For each of the last 5 academic years, please provide:
(a) Number of SEND-related complaints received
(b) Number escalated to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
(c) Number upheld or partially upheld by the Ombudsman
Answer: Please see the attached FOI2026 01345 Response Spreadsheet, as requested.
Documents
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