National Offer Day in England the waits over for families

They’ll find out if their children will get the school places they want

Families face an “unfair postcode lottery” to secure specialist school places for their children with additional needs, an education leader has warned.

Hundreds of thousands of families across England are finding out which secondary school their child will be joining this September, on what is commonly known as National Offer Day.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union the NAHT, has predicted there will be “too many cases” where a specialist place is the parents’ preference for their child with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) but they will be given a mainstream school place instead.

He said: “This can be an anxious time for families.

“Choosing the right school and securing a place there is a huge moment in a child’s life and not everyone will get their first choice.

“There is particular concern this year for children with special or additional needs, where families are trying to navigate a broken Send system.

“There remains a hugely unfair postcode lottery when it comes to support for pupils with the most severe needs.”

Mr Whiteman added: “Without action, we risk a whole generation of young people missing out on the first-class support and education they deserve, and the anxious wait for families uncertain whether they will get a suitable school place for their child will continue.”

England’s school system has been put under pressure in recent years as a population bulge has been moving into secondary schools.

Meanwhile, the number of children and young people on support plans for Send has risen over the past decade.

There were 575,963 children and young people in England with education, health and care (EHC) plans, which set out the provision of Send support needed, in January 2024 – a 140% increase since 2015.

Speaking ahead of National Offer Day, Mr Whiteman said: “There will be too many cases across the country where a specialist place is the parental preference for a child with Send but, due to lack of capacity, mainstream schools are being asked to provide a place instead and support them.

“Any pupils in such circumstances deserve the full provision they would have received in the unavailable specialist place but clearly, for this to succeed, the mainstream school would need the full funding that the specialist place would have received.

“Simply asking mainstream schools to support more pupils with Send without providing the essential staffing, funding and resources they require could have a detrimental effect on those children and young people with Send, as well as their peers, especially if schools have to redirect funding they had previously committed elsewhere.”

Official data shows that, last year, 82.9% of pupils were offered their first choice of secondary school – which was up slightly on 82.6% in 2023.

A Department for Education (DfE) spokesperson said: “Families should be confident their child can go to a good local school, that meets their needs, so they can achieve and thrive.

“The Send system this government inherited has been failing to meet the needs of children and families for far too long, with a lack of early intervention and support in mainstream schools.

“Through our Plan for Change, we are determined to improve inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, making sure special schools cater to children with the most complex needs and restoring parents’ trust that their child will get the right support.”

Published: 03/03/2025 by Radio NewsHub