Cubbie is the key to whole-school inclusion as education, health and care plans (EHCPs) soar
EHCPs could almost double to one in 10 pupils as demand for support grows ahead of school SEND reforms
Local authorities and schools expect the proportion of children with an EHCP to reach one in ten - roughly double the current level - amid signs that families are applying sooner in case SEND reforms limit access to support.
718,838 children and young people in England now have an EHCP - a 12.5% year-on-year rise, the largest since EHCPs began in 2014.
Roughly 1 in 18 school-age children (5.5%) currently have an EHCP; local authorities expect this to reach 1 in 10 (around 890,000) by 2030.
Three needs - autism, social/emotional/mental health, and speech and language - account for 75.3% of all plans.
Fewer than half of new EHCPs are issued within the legal 20-week limit.
Cubbie's sensory regulation platform helps schools support pupils earlier and across every tier of need - reducing pressure on EHCPs while building the evidence base new SEND reforms will expect.
School leaders have reported a sharp rise in EHCP applications, as families fear the government's plans to restrict future EHCPs for only those with the most complex SEND needs. Under its upcoming SEND reforms, children with milder or more common needs would be supported through school-based support plans - Individual Support Plans (ISPs) - instead.
Currently, there are more than half a million pupils (1 in 18) with an EHCP in schools in England, the number having risen by almost 25% in the past two years. This figure is predicted to rise to around 1 in 10 school-age children (about 890,000) by 2030.
What is an EHCP and how fast are numbers rising?
An EHCP is the strongest form of support in the SEND system in England. It is a legal document that sets out a child or young person's needs and the specific support a council must put in place to meet them. More children have one than ever before, and the number is soaring.
The overall number of children and young people aged 0-25 with EHCPs increased to 718,838 this year; 12.5% higher than in January 2025. This is the highest year-on-year increase since EHCPs were introduced in 2014 and relates to all children and young people with an EHCP, including those where the child or young person attends early years settings, further education or is educated elsewhere (DfE).
January 2026: 718,838 children and young people had an EHCP, roughly 1 in 18 school-age children (5.5%).
January 2025: 638,700 had an EHCP, around 1 in 20 school-age children (5%).
Annual growth: a 12.5% rise in a single year, the largest since EHCPs were introduced in 2014 and more than double the number in 2019.
Who has an EHCP? A breakdown by need
According to the Department for Education (DfE), the 718,838 plans are for the following primary needs:
Autism: 226,723 plans (31.5%)
Speech, language and communication needs: 160,344 plans (22.3%)
Social, emotional and mental health: 153,880 plans (21.4%)
Moderate learning difficulty: 70,259 plans (9.8%)
Physical disability: 25,501 plans (3.5%)
Severe learning difficulty: 24,538 plans (3.4%)
All other needs: 57,593 plans (8%)
Three types of need (autism, social, emotional and mental health needs including ADHD, and speech, language and communication needs) account for 75.3% of all plans and are driving the rise.
EHCPs among school-aged children
The number of children in a school setting with an EHCP has also risen dramatically, from 482,640 in 2024/25 to 538,547 this year; an increase of 11.6%, and more than doubled since 2016.
This figure reflects all children currently enrolled at state-funded nursery, primary, secondary and special schools, non-maintained special schools, pupil referral units and independent schools.
The strain on mainstream schools
The proportion of pupils with an EHCP in mainstream state-funded schools has increased from 56.2 per cent in 2024-25 to 57.8 per cent in 2025-26, stretching the ability of mainstream schools to meet needs. This figure represents 6% of the school population, up from 5.3% in 2025 (Schools Week).
Why are EHCP applications rising so fast?
A 2024 Institute for Fiscal Studies report, which found the number of pupils with EHCPs rose 71% between 2018 and 2024, reported the likely reasons for this as: financial incentives to seek EHCPs, better recognition and identification of existing needs, and greater awareness of mental health and autism.
Financial incentives behind EHCP applications: mainstream schools can only access local authority "top-up" funding when the additional cost of SEND support exceeds £6,000, with the first £6,000 met from core school budgets. In practice, this threshold is only reached with an EHCP.
Limited access to mental health and speech and language support: mental health problems among young people are rising, yet children and adolescents in England face significant barriers and long delays in accessing mental health services. Similarly, the growth in speech, language and communication difficulties may be linked to limited access to support, with lengthy waits for speech and language therapy.
Families applying early, fearing SEND Reform restrictions: families are applying earlier in case access to EHCPs is restricted. Fewer than half of new plans are currently issued within the legal limit of 20 weeks, and many families fear a long wait ahead.
How high could EHCP numbers go by 2030?
With local authorities expecting around 1 in 10 school-age children to have an EHCP by 2030, Bill Revans, the County Councils Network's SEND spokesperson said:
"It is clear there has been a particularly sharp surge in assessment requests to our member councils this year since the government announced its planned reforms. Our previous analysis had predicted the number of EHCPs will rise to 840,000 by 2028-29, however, it is now likely these numbers will be exceeded."
Some councils have raised their own forecasts dramatically. Hampshire County Council forecasts a 58% increase in EHCPs in the next three years, and Manchester City Council anticipates a 40% increase by 2029.
How will SEND reform change EHCPs and school support?
The government's white paper, Every Child Achieving and Thriving, aims to make mainstream schools more inclusive, with earlier intervention and better access to specialist provision so that every child is supported. The key elements are:
EHCPs vs Individual Support Plans (ISPs): what's the difference: EHCPs would be reserved for children with the most profound and complex needs. Children with milder or more common needs would be supported through school-based ISPs, available to any child who needs extra help regardless of whether they have a formal SEND diagnosis.
New funding for inclusive mainstream schools: schools will receive a £400 million per year Inclusive Mainstream Fund, plus a £1.8 billion "Experts at Hand" service giving access to specialist provisions including educational psychologists, speech and language therapists and occupational therapists (OTs). The aim is to provide earlier support for children, without the need for an EHCP.
Support under existing EHCPs will not change before September 2030 as the reforms require new legislation, which has yet to complete its passage through Parliament. Until then, the current system stays in place, and local authorities still have a legal limit of 20 weeks to issue a final EHCP, although fewer than half manage it, which leaves many families waiting.
Why schools need tangible inclusion solutions now
Every school and 16-19 academy in England must publish an inclusion strategy by 31 December 2026. The strategy should prioritise high-quality, adaptive teaching, identify where schools can build on existing inclusive practice, and set out how funding will be used to remove barriers to learning and participation.
Schools Minister, Georgia Gould, said it’s important new and inclusive support is readily available at schools, to build the trust of parents. "Any change can feel worrying for those families. That’s why we want to put in place tangible change they can see and feel in classrooms and in their communities."
That's the gap schools now need to close — not just a policy commitment on paper, but something pupils, staff and parents can see working day to day. This is where Cubbie comes in.
Cubbie: the key to whole-school inclusion
Cubbie is working with schools and local authorities across the country to meet their inclusion needs — delivering remarkable results, reintegrating students into full-time education, and recovering hundreds of hours of lost learning.
What is Cubbie? An occupational therapy-led sensory regulation platform
Cubbie is an OT-led, evidence-based sensory regulation platform, offering a safe, familiar space where children can go to reset, feel calm, and regulate — reducing sensory stress and anxiety so they can recharge and get back to the classroom.
Designed as a blank canvas, Cubbie adapts to any environment, providing personalised, occupational therapy-designed sensory regulation support that helps deliver the right support, at the right time, for the right level of need.
How Cubbie helps schools meet their inclusion strategies
By reaching more pupils earlier, Cubbie reduces disruption and keeps children in class. It is a safe, structured regulation tool that scales from whole-school wellbeing to complex SEND need, responding before pupils reach crisis point and supporting recovery and reintegration afterwards.
It fits into an existing classroom and offers built-in OT expertise and measurable outcomes, leading to increased classroom participation and more learning time recovered.
It gives staff — teachers, SENCOs, pastoral teams and therapists — one consistent, evidence-informed way to support pupils before, during and after dysregulation.
It builds the evidence base that inspectors and review panels increasingly expect.
Supporting the full continuum: from universal to specialist SEND need
Cubbie is the only sensory-regulation platform designed to work across universal, targeted, targeted plus and specialist provision, giving schools a practical, measurable way to support regulation, inclusion and access to learning across the full continuum of need.
That range matters more than ever under the reforms. Where an EHCP has historically been the only formal route to support, and ISPs are designed to help any child, regardless of diagnosis, Cubbie already operates exactly at that universal-to-targeted level — giving schools a tool that works whether a child has a formal plan, an ISP, or no diagnosis at all.
Cubbie in the community: Continuity of care beyond the school gate
Cubbie offers a graduated response, supporting children from reception class through to college and beyond. By placing Cubbie in community spaces such as libraries, shopping centres and leisure centres, it provides continuity of care across an individual's journey and becomes the missing link in the care infrastructure.
As EHCP numbers climb and reforms edge through Parliament, schools cannot afford to wait. Cubbie gives them a way to support pupils today, while building the evidence base that future inspections and funding decisions will expect.
For more information on how Cubbie can support your inclusion strategy and create an environment where every child belongs, get in touch.
