400,000 neurodivergent children waiting for their first appointment
The Children’s Commissioner has published a new report that sheds light on waiting times for children with neurodevelopmental conditions in England. According to the report, 35,200 children in community health services were diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental condition between 2022 and 2024. In mental health services, 16,300 children were diagnosed as autistic and 9,570 were diagnosed with ADHD. This high level of demand means children often face long waiting times until their first appointment, with around 400,000 still waiting at the end of the 2022-23.
The report reveals that families feel compelled to seek a diagnosis in order to receive support, especially with regards to accessing an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). In some cases, children can wait years for a diagnosis, although waits are generally shorter in mental health services. For example, the average wait time from referral to diagnosis of autism in community health is 2 years 2 months, compared to 1 year 5 months in mental health services. For a diagnosis of ADHD, the wait is 2 years 5 months in community health, compared to 1 year 7 months in mental health services. Many children are unsupported during these waits, which means the gap between them and their neurotypical peers continues to widen. Even after receiving a diagnosis, ECHPs are not always adhered to due to resource and workforce challenges.
The Children’s Commissioner, Rachel de Souza, calls on the government to consider what action is needed to support children with neurodevelopmental conditions so they do not have to rely on receiving a diagnosis in order to access support. For example, the report suggests integrating health and social care services into schools and delivering early interventions on site. Furthermore, the report recommends rolling out profiling tools across all nurseries and schools in the country to identify those with a neurodevelopmental condition and additional needs. According to de Souza, the Ofsted inspection framework should also be reformed to hold schools to account for the extent to which they are inclusive. De Souza writes that with better integration between health, education, and social care, ‘many more children’s additional needs could be identified and supported without families being forced to seek a diagnosis.’ As a result the NHS can prioritise assessing children who would benefit from clinical interventions, for which a diagnosis is required.
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The rise of severe and persistent absence rates
New government data shows that the overall absence rate was 6.9% in 2023/24, decreasing from 7.3% in 2022-23. However, there has been an increase in the number of severely absent pupils, with more than 2 of all pupils now missing at least half their time in school.
Figures reveal that the percentage of pupils who are severely absent has more than doubled since before the pandemic, now equating to 158,000 pupils. The rate of persistent absence also increased in 2023-24, rising from 19.4% in autumn to 21.5% in the spring term. This means around 1.42 million pupils missed 10% of their sessions or more.
More than half of all absence was due to illness, accounting for 3.5% of possible sessions in autumn 2023-24 and 3.8% in spring of the same year. This represents a decrease compared to 2022-23, but remains higher than pre-pandemic levels. Paul Whiteman, general secretary at the school leaders’ union NAHT, says that schools need more support to ‘tackle unauthorised absence and the often deep-rooted issues facing children and families,’ such as sickness and mental health problems, poverty and other social challenges. Whiteman says new investment in vital services such as social care and CAMHS ‘will be crucial’ to help schools further improve attendance.
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Parents share views on curriculum, attendance, and school costs
In a new survey carried out by Parentkind, 5,500 parents were asked about their views on education. Whilst 72% are happy with the quality of education their child receives, many have concerns with the curriculum. For example, 48% feel that schools do not focus enough time on developing children’s skills relating to financial management. Around a third feel that school does not prepare children for the job market, supports their personal development, or helps them to develop skills that are useful outside of school, such as teamwork and critical thinking. One fifth of parents feel that too many subjects are studied at GCSE level.
With regards to attendance, just 76% agree that every school day matters and more than half say it is okay to miss school for a day or more for a holiday. In general, a third of parents are more relaxed about their child’s attendance since the pandemic. This is higher for parents of a child with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) and those eligible for free school meals (FSMs), standing at 38% and 42% respectively. Notably, 15% of all parents report that their child feels unsafe at school, the equivalent to 1.6 million children. A third say they have considered homeschooling.
The research also found that one of the biggest concerns for parents is the current cost of living. In total, 77% say they are concerned with school costs, with 47% reporting concerns with the cost of school uniforms. Additionally, 27% struggle with the cost of school meals, whilst three-quarters say they support free school meals for all. Commenting on the report, Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), says ‘we urgently need the government’s child poverty taskforce to come up with solutions.’
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