Children with disabilities and learning difficulties

Children with disabilities face a range of inequalities, including accessing services, health outcomes and educational attainment (A Needs Assessment for Disabled Children in Derby City, 2013). Children will be considered to have a learning disability (LD) if they meet any of the following conditions

• they have been identified within education services as having a Special Educational Need (SEN)
• they score lower than two standard deviations below the mean on a validated test of general cognitive functioning (equivalent to an IQ score of less than 70) or general development
• they have been identified as having learning disabilities on locally held disability registers (including the registers held by GP practices).

In Derby, the local authority and GP practice registers of those with a learning difficulty are comparable.

The Learning Disabilities Observatory (a collaboration between Public Health England, the Centre for Disability Research at the University of Lancaster, and the National Development Team for Inclusion) has published a local Learning Disabilities Profile that can be accessed from their ‘Improving Health and Lives’ website.

Pupils with EHC plans

The total number of EHC plans has continued to increase both nationally and locally. In Derby, there were 2,900 statutory EHC plans maintained by the local authority (LA) at January 2022. This is an increase of 287 since the previous year.

This is a percentage increase of 11.0% in Derby (9.9% nationally and 8.3% comparator authorities average).

Children for whom EHC plans were newly made

In Derby, there were 459 new EHC plans made during 2021.  This is an increase of 135 (41.7%) when compared to the number of children with EHC plans made during 2020.  The national increase is 3.5% and the comparator authorities' average is up by 0.5%.

Placement of children for whom local authorities (LA) maintain an EHC plan

40.0% of Derby children with an EHC plan attended a mainstream school (40.5% nationally), 34.3% attended a special or hospital school (34.8% nationally) and 0.2% attended an alternative provision or pupil referral unit (0.8% nationally).

Placement of children with a new EHC plan

69.7% of Derby children with a new EHC plan attended a mainstream school (72.8% nationally), 21.1% attended a special or hospital school (14.2% nationally) and 0.7% attended an alternative provision or pupil referral unit (1.6% nationally).

Children and young people with an EHC plan by local authority and age group

Children aged 11-15 years old account for the largest percentage of children and young people with EHC plans (36% locally and 35% nationally).

Assessment process for EHC plans

During 2021, there were 531 initial requests made for an assessment for an EHC Plan (compared to 554 comparator authorities' average). Of these, 16.2% were refused an assessment for an EHC Plan (compared to 22.3% nationally and 21.5% comparator authorities' average). 244 children and young people in Derby were either still being assessed, or had completed the assessment but a decision had not yet been made on whether to issue an EHC plan (compared to 162 in our comparator authorities' average).

New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks

Of the new Derby EHC plans made during 2021 (excluding cases where exceptions apply), 39.9% were issued within the 20-week time limit (compared to 59.9% nationally and 62.9% comparator authorities average). 

Derby's percentage has increased by 16.8% since last year.  Derby is ranked 121st nationally (an improvement by 18 places).

EHC plans with personal budgets, mediation and tribunal cases

In Derby, there were 242 personal budgets in place for EHC plans issued or reviewed during 2021 (compared to 197 in comparator authorities' average). 

There were no mediation cases held during 2021.

Pupils with SEN Support

12.7% of children in Derby had SEN Support in 2020. This is a decrease of 1.2% since 2018. Nationally, SEN Support has increased by 0.4% to 12.1%.

Pupils with SEN in state-funded primaries

The percentage of SEN Support pupils in state-funded primaries is 12.9% in 2020 (12.8% nationally).

Pupils with SEN in state-funded secondaries

The percentage of SEN Support pupils in state-funded secondaries is 12.5% in 2020 (11.1% nationally).

Primary Needs type

Locally, the distribution across the types of SEN is mostly similar to 2019.
State-funded primaries – The largest difference is a drop of 1.5% in Moderate Learning Difficulty and Speech, Language and Communications Needs. Speech, Language and Communications Needs has the highest percentage of primary need nationally and locally (30.4% in Derby and 31.2% nationally). Moderate Learning Difficulty is the second highest needs type (24.0% in Derby, 19.5% nationally).

State-funded secondaries – The largest difference since 2019 is an increase of 4.4% in Social, Emotional and Mental Health. Moderate Learning Difficulty has the highest percentage of primary need nationally and locally (29.5% in Derby and 20.8% nationally). Social, Emotional and Mental Health is the second highest needs type in Derby at 22.8% (20.7% nationally).

State-funded specials – Locally, Autistic Spectrum Disorder has the highest percentage of primary need in Derby at 31.3% (31.3% nationally). Moderate Learning Difficulty is the second highest needs type in Derby at 19.9%. Nationally, the second highest needs type is Severe Learning Difficulty at 21.4% (12.7% locally).

Local Area SEND Joint Commissioning Strategy

Our Local Area SEND Joint Commissioning Strategy is part of our joint commissioning work and outlines how Derby City commissioning partners will deliver the best possible services for children and young people with SEND and their families.

Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN)

Further information in this section about Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN)