Surrey County Council Conservatives Refutes Claims of SEND Service ‘Failure’ with Data-Driven Response
Surrey County Council has responded robustly to recent claims by politically motivated individuals that its Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) services are in crisis, presenting a detailed and data-rich rebuttal. The response, originating from a letter penned by Rachael Wardell to a Surrey MP, aims to provide a factual perspective and counter what the council perceives as misinformation.
While acknowledging that challenges remain and that not all children's needs are consistently met, the council strongly rejects the characterisation of its SEND provision as “failing”. According to Wardell, Surrey’s SEND system demonstrates performance exceeding national averages across several key metrics.
Key Performance Indicators Highlight Improvements:
- Needs Assessment Timeliness: Surrey has made significant strides in reducing the time taken to respond to needs assessment requests. The in-year cumulative performance for 2025 stands at 84%, significantly surpassing the national average of 50.3%. Notably, February 2025 saw a performance rate of 91%, a dramatic improvement from 16% in January 2024.
- Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs): By March 2025, 76% of children and young people with an EHCP had an up-to-date Annual Review, a substantial increase from 37% in January 2024. Furthermore, 99% of EHCPs audited in December 2024 were rated as outstanding, good, or satisfactory, exceeding the council’s target of 80%.
- EHCP Prevalence: In Surrey, 5.3% of children and young people have an EHCP, compared to the national average of 4.8%. Additionally, 14.2% of children and young people receive SEND support without an EHCP, slightly above the national figure of 13.6%.
- GCSE Performance: Children and young people with SEND in Surrey are outperforming both national and local GCSE standards.
- Mediation and Dispute Resolution: Surrey’s Mediation and Dispute Resolution Team has proven highly effective, with only 5% of cases requiring referral to the Tribunal Team. The council’s position was upheld in 10.5% of tribunal cases in the 2024/25 academic year, against the national average of 1.4%.
- Pre 16 Key Stage Transfer (KST): Despite a 13.5% increase in pupils undergoing the KST process for September 2025, the number of pupils without a confirmed school place decreased by 2% compared to the previous year.
Significant Investment in Specialist Provision:
Surrey County Council has committed approximately £260 million to expand specialist school provision, aiming to increase capacity by 74% from 2019/20 to 5,761 places by 2031/32. This investment includes the development of three new special free schools and the redevelopment of existing facilities. To date, 52 school construction projects have been completed, delivering over 1,440 additional places and improving provision for another 345.
The council’s detailed response aims to provide clarity and factual data to address the concerns raised, emphasising its commitment to ongoing improvement and investment in SEND services.
Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Life Long Learning Comment:
At Surrey County Council we are committed to providing high-quality SEND services for all children and young people. I do acknowledge the challenges and the very real difficulties some families may experience yet the published data clearly demonstrates significant improvements and performance that, in many areas, exceeds national averages. We understand that past experiences will shape perceptions, and we are working diligently to build and restore trust through open data and continued investment in specialist provision. It's disappointing to see some individuals choosing to misrepresent this progress for their own party political purposes when our unrelenting focus remains on ensuring every child's needs are met based on factual evidence, not misleading rhetoric.
Surrey Area Conservatives Chairman Comment:
It's deeply concerning to see the Liberal Democrats engaging in such blatant political opportunism regarding Surrey's SEND services. Their attempts to paint a picture of 'failure' are not only inaccurate but also a disservice to the dedicated professionals working tirelessly to improve outcomes for our children. The facts speak for themselves: significant progress has been made, as evidenced by the data. The Liberal Democrats' campaign of misinformation is a cynical attempt to exploit vulnerable families for political gain, and Surrey residents deserve better than their misleading rhetoric. We, the Surrey Conservatives, will continue to focus on delivering real improvements based on evidence and investment, not cheap political point-scoring.
