Children with SEND to benefit from earlier intervention as government backs research into tools to identify special educational needs sooner

Innovators to test earlier interventions to help support children with SEND, backed by government.

Research into developing smarter data tools to help identify children with special educational needs sooner could help ensure earlier intervention and support for pupils, as Science Minister Lord Vallance announces a new research project today (Thursday 20 November).

Over 1.7 million pupils in England are currently identified as having special educational needs, yet many families face long waits before needs are identified and inconsistent support.

New government-backed research delivered by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) in partnership with the Department for Education (DfE) will explore how to support earlier identification of needs, meaning evidence-informed interventions can be put in place more quickly. This will give parents confidence and equip teachers with practical tools to identify and meet needs, so that more children remain engaged, achieve academically and feel included in their school communities.

The research – which aims to roll out successful pilot approaches to schools by 2028 - will explore how data can be used to identify children that might need extra support sooner. This would enable timely support and interventions and could allow teachers to work with families to track how children are progressing within their learning, their engagement in class and their overall wellbeing.