One boy pupil in four has special needs
Boys of primary age are almost twice as likely to have such
difficulties than girls, the Department for Education study revealed yesterday.
More than a fifth – 21 per cent – of pupils, around 1.69 million in total, have been diagnosed as having SEN and some 220,890 have statements of SEN, which set out their needs following an assessment and what support is available.
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Hide AdAcross the country 489,250 primary age school boys, 23.4 per cent, have SEN without a statement, compared with 269,890 girls –13.5 per cent of the age group.
The figures are also similar in secondary schools, with 386,730 boys – 23.6 per cent – having SEN without a statement, compared with 252,470 girls – 5.7 per cent of the age group.
Boys with SEN statements were more than twice as likely to have behavioural, emotional and social difficulties or autism than girls. In total, 26,170 boys had such difficulties against 3,590 girls.
Children's Minister Sarah Teather said: "We must change the system so that having SENs or a disability does not predetermine a child's future."