CSIE has been working with researchers at the University of Exeter to explore school placement trends (i.e. the proportion of children placed in special schools or other separate settings) of all local authorities in England. CSIE has been reporting local authority school placement trends since 1988. Work towards this latest report has been funded by the British Academy, to whom we remain grateful.

This report provides up-to-date information for the years 2014-17. It shows that there has been a rising national trend of special school placements over the last 10 years. Like other Trends reports before it, it also suggests a postcode lottery for inclusive education: there continues to be huge variation in the rates of inclusion into mainstream schools of children with Education and Health Care Plans. Some local authorities consistently rely more on mainstream settings, while others regularly send high proportions of children to special schools. In 2017 the proportion of children sent to special schools ranged from 0.18% (the equivalent of 1 child in every 556) in the London Borough of Newham, to 1.75% (the equivalent of 1 child in every 57) in Torbay. That is close to a tenfold difference! While there are small variations from year to year, these patterns persist in a way which renders the most inclusive and least inclusive local authorities consistently so.

Such significant differences bear no simple relation to the size of a local authority or its social or geographical characteristics. Further research is needed in order to understand such diverse patterns.

This latest report will be presented at an open seminar in London on Wednesday 10 April. The event is free but places are limited and must be booked in advance. For further information and to book your place please visit the eventbrite website.