Data set from Outcomes for children in need, including children looked after by local authorities in England

LA - Special education needs (SEN)

Latest data

Published 2 April 2026

Last updated 2 April 2026

Special educational need (SEN) and primary type of SEN for children in need (excluding children on a child protection plan and children looked after), children on a child protection plan (excluding children looked after) and children looked after.

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Data set details

• Theme: Children's social care
• Publication: Outcomes for children in need, including children looked after by local authorities in England
• Release: Reporting year 2025
• Number of rows: 3,444
• Geographic levels: Local authority, National, Regional
• Indicators:
  • Percentage of pupils having primary type of need: Autistic Spectrum Disorder
  • Percentage of pupils having primary type of need: Down Syndrome
  • Percentage of pupils having primary type of need: Hearing Impairment
  • Percentage of pupils having primary type of need: Moderate Learning Difficulty
  • Percentage of pupils having primary type of need: Multi- Sensory Impairment
  • Percentage of pupils having primary type of need: Other Difficulty/Disability
  • Percentage of pupils having primary type of need: Physical Disability
  • Percentage of pupils having primary type of need: Profound & Multiple Learning Difficulty
  • Percentage of pupils having primary type of need: Severe Learning Difficulty
  • Percentage of pupils having primary type of need: Social, Emotional and Mental Health
  • Percentage of pupils having primary type of need: Specific Learning Difficulty
  • Percentage of pupils having primary type of need: Speech, Language and Communications needs
  • Percentage of pupils having primary type of need: Visual Impairment
  • Percentage of pupils having primary type of need: but no specialist assessment of type of need
  • Percentage of pupils with SEN provision
  • Percentage of pupils with SEN support / SEN without an EHC plan
  • Percentage of pupils with an EHC plan
  • Percentage of pupils with no SEN provision
  • Total number of pupils
  • Total number of pupils having primary type of need: Autistic Spectrum Disorder
  • Total number of pupils having primary type of need: Down Syndrome
  • Total number of pupils having primary type of need: Hearing Impairment
  • Total number of pupils having primary type of need: Moderate Learning Difficulty
  • Total number of pupils having primary type of need: Multi- Sensory Impairment
  • Total number of pupils having primary type of need: Other Difficulty/Disability
  • Total number of pupils having primary type of need: Physical Disability
  • Total number of pupils having primary type of need: Profound & Multiple Learning Difficulty
  • Total number of pupils having primary type of need: Severe Learning Difficulty
  • Total number of pupils having primary type of need: Social, Emotional and Mental Health
  • Total number of pupils having primary type of need: Specific Learning Difficulty
  • Total number of pupils having primary type of need: Speech, Language and Communications needs
  • Total number of pupils having primary type of need: Visual Impairment
  • Total number of pupils having primary type of need: but no specialist assessment of type of need
  • Total number of pupils with SEN provision
  • Total number of pupils with SEN support / SEN without an EHC plan
  • Total number of pupils with an EHC plan
  • Total number of pupils with no SEN provision
• Filters:
  • Social care group
• Time period: 2018/19 to 2024/25

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Data set preview

Table showing first 5 rows, from underlying data

time_period	time_identifier	geographic_level	country_code	country_name	region_code	region_name	old_la_code	la_name	new_la_code	social_care_group	t_pupils	t_no_identified_sen	t_all_sen	t_sen_support	t_ehc_plan	t_asd	t_ds	t_hi	t_mld	t_msi	t_nsa	t_oth	t_pd	t_pmld	t_semh	t_slcn	t_sld	t_spld	t_vi	pt_no_identified_sen	pt_all_sen	pt_sen_support	pt_ehc_plan	pt_asd	pt_ds	pt_hi	pt_mld	pt_msi	pt_nsa	pt_oth	pt_pd	pt_pmld	pt_semh	pt_slcn	pt_sld	pt_spld	pt_vi
202425	Academic year	National	E92000001	England						CINO at 31 March	141630	66100	75530	31010	44520	17140	120	580	6610	200	1290	1690	2630	3360	19460	11360	6900	3650	520	46.7	53.3	21.9	31.4	22.7	0.2	0.8	8.7	0.3	1.7	2.2	3.5	4.5	25.8	15	9.1	4.8	0.7
202425	Academic year	Regional	E92000001	England	E12000001	North East				CINO at 31 March	8180	3830	4350	1700	2650	1070	c	40	420	10	80	90	150	260	990	600	470	150	20	46.8	53.2	20.8	32.4	24.5	c	0.8	9.7	0.2	1.9	2	3.5	6	22.8	13.8	10.8	3.3	0.5
202425	Academic year	Regional	E92000001	England	E12000002	North West				CINO at 31 March	20840	10300	10550	4740	5810	2080	10	70	900	30	190	210	340	430	3110	1770	760	550	100	49.4	50.6	22.8	27.9	19.7	0.1	0.7	8.6	0.3	1.8	2	3.3	4.1	29.5	16.8	7.2	5.2	0.9
202425	Academic year	Regional	E92000001	England	E12000003	Yorkshire and The Humber				CINO at 31 March	14300	7610	6690	3370	3310	1170	c	60	680	10	100	170	260	210	1930	1250	420	370	50	53.2	46.8	23.6	23.2	17.5	c	0.8	10.2	0.1	1.6	2.6	3.9	3.2	28.9	18.7	6.2	5.5	0.7
202425	Academic year	Regional	E92000001	England	E12000004	East Midlands				CINO at 31 March	9420	4720	4700	2240	2460	930	10	30	510	20	80	130	180	180	1410	620	300	270	30	50.1	49.9	23.8	26.1	19.9	0.2	0.6	10.8	0.5	1.7	2.7	3.9	3.9	30.1	13.2	6.4	5.7	0.6

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Variables in this data set

Table showing all 38 variables

Variable name	Variable description
pt_all_sen	Percentage of pupils with SEN provision
pt_asd	Percentage of pupils having primary type of need: Autistic Spectrum Disorder
pt_ds	Percentage of pupils having primary type of need: Down Syndrome
pt_ehc_plan	Percentage of pupils with an EHC plan
pt_hi	Percentage of pupils having primary type of need: Hearing Impairment
pt_mld	Percentage of pupils having primary type of need: Moderate Learning Difficulty
pt_msi	Percentage of pupils having primary type of need: Multi- Sensory Impairment
pt_no_identified_sen	Percentage of pupils with no SEN provision
pt_nsa	Percentage of pupils having primary type of need: but no specialist assessment of type of need
pt_oth	Percentage of pupils having primary type of need: Other Difficulty/Disability
pt_pd	Percentage of pupils having primary type of need: Physical Disability
pt_pmld	Percentage of pupils having primary type of need: Profound & Multiple Learning Difficulty
pt_semh	Percentage of pupils having primary type of need: Social, Emotional and Mental Health
pt_sen_support	Percentage of pupils with SEN support / SEN without an EHC plan
pt_slcn	Percentage of pupils having primary type of need: Speech, Language and Communications needs
pt_sld	Percentage of pupils having primary type of need: Severe Learning Difficulty
pt_spld	Percentage of pupils having primary type of need: Specific Learning Difficulty
pt_vi	Percentage of pupils having primary type of need: Visual Impairment
social_care_group	Social care group - Filter by social care group
t_all_sen	Total number of pupils with SEN provision
t_asd	Total number of pupils having primary type of need: Autistic Spectrum Disorder
t_ds	Total number of pupils having primary type of need: Down Syndrome
t_ehc_plan	Total number of pupils with an EHC plan
t_hi	Total number of pupils having primary type of need: Hearing Impairment
t_mld	Total number of pupils having primary type of need: Moderate Learning Difficulty
t_msi	Total number of pupils having primary type of need: Multi- Sensory Impairment
t_no_identified_sen	Total number of pupils with no SEN provision
t_nsa	Total number of pupils having primary type of need: but no specialist assessment of type of need
t_oth	Total number of pupils having primary type of need: Other Difficulty/Disability
t_pd	Total number of pupils having primary type of need: Physical Disability
t_pmld	Total number of pupils having primary type of need: Profound & Multiple Learning Difficulty
t_pupils	Total number of pupils
t_semh	Total number of pupils having primary type of need: Social, Emotional and Mental Health
t_sen_support	Total number of pupils with SEN support / SEN without an EHC plan
t_slcn	Total number of pupils having primary type of need: Speech, Language and Communications needs
t_sld	Total number of pupils having primary type of need: Severe Learning Difficulty
t_spld	Total number of pupils having primary type of need: Specific Learning Difficulty
t_vi	Total number of pupils having primary type of need: Visual Impairment

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Footnotes

1. Special educational needs (SEN) provision and primary type of SEN data is taken from both the school census and the alternative provision census. More detailed information on the SEN data published within this release is available in the accompanying methodology.

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Example code

Python

import pandas as pd

pd.read_csv("https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-catalogue/data-set/8522857b-1e9d-4d69-971f-15131561ec4d/csv")

R

read.csv("https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-catalogue/data-set/8522857b-1e9d-4d69-971f-15131561ec4d/csv")

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Contact us

If you have a specific enquiry about LA - Special education needs (SEN) statistics and data:

Children Looked After Data Team

Email: CLA.STATS@education.gov.uk
Contact name: Bree Waine

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