This House of Lords Library briefing contains a selection of material relevant for the forthcoming question for short debate on “the problems of and possible solutions for children in the school system with dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions".
Children in School with Special Educational Needs (226 KB , PDF)
Conditions such as dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism can be referred to as neurodiverse conditions. Some children who are affected by these conditions are entitled to extra support in schools. This can take the form of a special learning programme, help communicating with other children, or extra encouragement in their learning. The Government refers to this support as special educational needs (SEN) support.
Statistics from the Department of Education found that 14.9% of pupils in England in January 2019 had a special educational need (SEN). If a child needs further support, they may receive an education, health and care (EHC) plan. In January 2019, 3.1% of pupils had an EHC plan. Both SEN support and EHC plans are overseen by the local authority.
In September 2019, the Government announced a review into support for children with special educational needs and disabilities. The review will consider the impact of reforms that were introduced in 2014. In response to a written question on 4 February 2020, the Government stated that further information about the review will be published shortly.
In addition to the review, the Government also announced £700m of funding to help pupils with the most complex needs for school year 2020 to 2021, and a pilot scheme of new assistive technology to be used in up to 100 schools and colleges.
In October 2019, the House of Commons Education Committee published a report on special educational needs and disabilities which evaluated the reforms that were put in place in 2014. The committee acknowledged that the reforms were needed but said that their implementation was “badly hampered by poor administration” and a “challenging funding environment”.
The National Audit Office (NAO), in their report from September 2019, has said that the current system of SEN support is not financially sustainable. Similarly, the Local Government Association has stated that the current system is at a “tipping point”, as demand for SEN services has risen much faster than funding has been made available.
Children in School with Special Educational Needs (226 KB , PDF)
Music forms part of the national curriculum up to key stage 3. Recent statistics show increases in GCSE music entries in summer 2025 compared to the previous academic year, but there has also been a drop in A-level entries in the same period. Additionally, concerns have been raised about the quality of music provision in schools and the difficulties faced by children from more deprived areas in accessing music education.
Dyscalculia is a specific learning difficulty that affects the understanding of number-based information. Schools in England are responsible for identifying any special educational needs (SEN) arising from such learning difficulties, and initial teacher training from September 2025 will contain more content related to supporting children with SEN. However, campaigners highlight there remains no specific requirement for teachers to learn about dyscalculia and argue awareness of the learning difficulty remains low.
The Community Security Trust, a UK charity that works to protect Jews from antisemitism and other threats, has reported a significant increase in antisemitic incidents on UK university campuses following the start of the current conflict in the Middle East. This briefing provides background information on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism and its adoption by UK universities, before concluding with a summary of recent government policy to tackle antisemitism in the higher education sector.
