Since 2004, the Department for Children, Schools and Families has collected data on pupils' type of special educational need (SEN) as part of the School Census. There are a range of factors which may affect the data recorded, including:
local interpretation of definitions;
classification of children with multiple needs;
differences in diagnoses between education and health professionals; and
availability of school-based provision.
To minimise the impact of these factors, revised guidance was available to schools from October 2005. The data collected on pupils' type of need is suitably reliable and robust to analyse at local authority level from January 2006 onwards. The available figures covering 2006 and 2007 have been placed in the Library. Information on the primary type of need is only collected for pupils with statements of special educational needs or at “School Action Plus”. It is not collected for pupils at “School Action”.
The information has been taken from the Statistical First Release “Special Educational Needs in England” which is published annually. The latest figures, for 2007, can be accessed at:
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000732/index.shtml