19 May 2026: Children and Young People Committee update
This update summarises key special educational needs and disability (SEND) developments shared with the Children and Young People Committee, including progress on Education, Health and Care plans (EHCPs), current pressures in the system, and the next steps in our improvement work.
Progress on Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)
We're continuing to increase the number of EHCPs we complete, and improve how quickly they're issued. In February 2026, 31% of final EHCPs (excluding cases where permitted exceptions apply) were issued within the 20‑week statutory timeframe. This is an improvement on the previous month. Whilst this is positive progress, it remains below our target, and we know families are still experiencing delays.
In February, we finalised 111 new EHCPs. We also received 112 new requests for assessments. The total number of live needs assessments reduced to 1,272 at the end of February, down from the previous month, demonstrating progress in reducing the backlog.
Over January and February 2026, 205 plans were issued. This is a 21% increase compared to the same period last year. Educational psychology output has increased, with psychological advice contributions 44% higher than in 2025, reflecting strengthened capacity.
If you want to understand what we’re changing and track progress over time, go to Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA) improvement plan.
Demand for support and specialist placements
Demand for SEND support and specialist provision remains high, with sustained levels of new assessment requests. The committee report notes that the rate of EHC needs assessment requests in Bristol is broadly in line with the national picture. Quarter 3 request rate was 21.9 per 10,000, compared with 21.2 nationally.
However, there is sustained pressure on specialist placements. At the end of February 2026, 279 children with an EHCP were waiting for a special school placement.
Alongside our local improvement work, we're also:
- responding to national SEND reform proposals
- developing our SEND strategy work in line with government expectations, with further updates planned for committee
Attendance, inclusion and wider pressures affecting children with SEND
School attendance in Bristol improved in Term 3. Overall attendance was 91.9% for Term 3 and 92.0% year-to-date. This remains below the national average of 93.4%. The report highlights that secondary attendance remains a particular challenge and that barriers to attendance are increasingly complex.
Persistent absence remains a challenge. In Term 3, 23.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing more than 10% of sessions. Year to date at the end of Term 3, this figure was 21.2%.
The committee report also notes ongoing work with schools and partners to strengthen governance and targeted support, alongside wider partnership initiatives to support attendance and inclusion.
Elective Home Education and children missing education
At the end of February 2026, there were 808 children recorded as Electively Home Educated (EHE) in Bristol. This included 43 children with an EHCP. The report notes that Bristol’s EHE rate per 10,000 for Q3 2025/26 is below the national rate.
The report also notes that the number of children missing education increased compared with the previous month, while remaining significantly lower than this time last year.
Quality and oversight
The Children’s Quality, Improvement and Performance (QuIP) Board continues to provide regular oversight of performance and practice across children’s services, including SEND-related performance and improvement plans. The pdf EHCNA Improvement Plan(1.84 MB) continues to be monitored through these arrangements.
20 April 2026: Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment improvement plan
We've launched Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA) improvement plan to share progress on improvements we're making to our EHCNA process.
The page includes regular updates on our work and the latest data on assessment timeliness.
14 April 2026: Tell us what you think of resource bases
We want to hear from people who have:
- looked for information about resource bases locally
- asked Bristol City Council's SEN team for a place at a resource base for your child
- a child who attends a resource base
You can:
- tell us what you think at our online event on Wednesday 13 May, from 10am to 11:30am
- fill in our resource bases survey if you can't come to our event
We're working with Bristol Parent Carers to hear your views and experiences. What you tell us will help shape the future of resource bases.
2 March 2026: Government publishes SEND consultation
The government has published Every Child Achieving and Thriving, a new white paper about its proposed changes for schools and the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. This includes a consultation asking for views from families, schools and professionals. You can also read an Easy Read version of the paper, Putting Children and Young People First.
We're looking closely at the proposals to understand what they could mean for children with SEND and their families, as well as for local services in Bristol.
There are no immediate changes to support. All current duties stay the same, and we'll continue delivering support in line with legislation and our pdf SEND and Inclusion Strategy 2024 to 2028(3.27 MB) , including investment in new special school places.
The consultation is a chance for families in Bristol to share their views. We'll be working with Bristol Parent Carers, schools, and health and care partners to send a detailed response based on lived experience.
22 January 2026: Children and Young People Committee update
Progress on Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)
In November 2025, 103 new requests were submitted for Education, Health and Care Needs assessments, bringing the total number of requests for 2025 to 1,317 by the end of November.
The number of new EHCPs finalised increased by 37% compared to 2024, supported by a 53% increase in Educational Psychology reports. While further improvements are needed, this signals sustained progress in ensuring children and families receive timely support.
In November alone, 122 new EHCPs were issued, bringing the year-to-date total to 1,016, a 42% increase from the same point in 2024.
Timeliness remains a challenge: 12% of plans met the 20‑week statutory timeframe in November. Improving timeliness continues to be a key priority.
School Organisation Strategy
Bristol's School Organisation Strategy (2025 to 2028) aims to ensure every child receives the right school place at the right time. A falling birth rate has led to a focus on reducing vacant primary places, enabling planned expansion of local SEND provision and investment in Early Years capacity following the rollout of the UK Government's 30‑hour childcare offer.
In December, funding was approved for a new specialist free school providing 164 places for children and young people with special educational needs.
In January, a new setting offering 66 additional SEND places opened at Throgmorton House under the leadership of Briarwood School.
Work is also beginning on relocating Elmfield Secondary School for Deaf Children to a purpose-designed facility on Doncaster Road. As part of the council's £52.7 million SEND Education Capital Programme, the refurbished Badock's Wood E-ACT Academy will provide dedicated classrooms, breakout spaces and specialist facilities for deaf students.
Habilitation Service
The Habilitation Service, delivered by Guide Dogs for the Blind, provides vital mobility and independent living skills training for children and young people with visual impairments. It also supports families and professionals to promote independence at home, in school and in the community.
Committee approved increased investment over the next two years. This will maintain 6 days of weekly support and reduce waiting lists, ensuring timely access to specialist help.
Holiday Activity Fund
The Holiday Activity Fund will continue to receive Department for Education funding until March 2029. This ensures ongoing access to holiday activities and food for children and young people. More information is available at Your Holiday Hub Bristol.
Young People and Education
As of December 2025, Bristol's NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) rate for 16 to 17 year olds is 5.28%, above the national average of 3.33%. The city's Not Known rate stands at 0.9%, significantly lower than the England average of 2.97%.
Combined, Bristol's NEET and NK rate is 6.18%, comparing favourably with the England average of 6.3% and the South West's 7.27%. Strong tracking systems, effective career coaching and close partnership working with post‑16 providers support accurate and timely data.
All young people engaged by the service can access a careers coach in their locality. Coaches provide regular contact, up to date information on opportunities and support with exploring education, training or employment pathways.
Through the South Bristol Youth Guarantee programme, the Post‑16 and NEET Reduction Team continue to make strong progress. By December, coaches were working with 100 NEET young people (76% of the year‑one target); 47 work tasters were completed or underway (82% of target); and 18 young people had moved into employment, including apprenticeships (78% of target).
The team is also contributing to the government's Young People and Work commission, led by Alan Milburn, and participating in local planning with FE colleges and VCSE partners to address barriers and strengthen post‑16 outcomes.
21 January 2026: Book your place at the Together for SEND learning event
Bristol Parent Carers Forum is hosting its third annual Together for SEND event supported by Bristol City Council. The event is on Monday 16 March from 9:30am to 4pm at We The Curious in Bristol.
It's a chance for families and education professionals to learn and connect, with over 30 talks and workshops. Sessions will cover a wide range of topics related to SEND.
