Around two thirds of special schools are full or over capacity, new government statistics have suggested after a Schools Week investigation revealed a lack of data on the issue. Department for Education there are approximately 4,000 more pupils on roll in special schools than reported capacity. Schools Week investigations revealed the DfE did not collect central data on special school capacity – despite soaring numbers of pupils with education, health and care plans. In 2022, we exposed how 54 per cent of special schools had more pupils on roll than the number commissioned by their council. Special school leaders told us how they were forced to cram pupils into converted therapy spaces and staffrooms. Following our investigation, DfE confirmed it would collect data on special school capacity from summer 2023. The data, published today, stated there were 148,000 special school places reported across 1,077 schools. However, the actual number on roll was 152,000 as of May last year. 鈥淭his means that there are approximately 4,000 more pupils on roll in special schools than reported capacity. 鈥淭his is due to the number of schools at or over capacity (around two thirds)鈥�, DfE said. This compared to 17 per cent of mainstream primaries and 23 per cent of secondaries being full or over capacity. ‘Capacity failure having profound impact’ Simon Knight, co-headteacher at Frank Wise School in Oxfordshire, said his 120-place school has already had 160 consultations from councils for placements since September. 鈥淭he failure of effective capacity development in the specialist sector is having a profound impact on children, families and schools,” he said. “Insufficient capacity within the system increases pressure on schools to admit pupils beyond planned numbers, pitting the legally protected rights of those already having their needs met within the school against the legally protected rights of those who require their needs met who are not in a school.鈥� The government is investing 拢2.6 billion between 2022 and 2025 to increase special school and alternative provision capacity, including expanding existing schools. But promised new special free schools – including the 15 announced at the spring budget – take years to open, with many delayed. Geoff Barton, general secretary of ASCL leaders鈥� union, said the new schools 鈥渨ill not meet the needs of children currently in the system who are unable to access the support they require, and neither will the government鈥檚 planned reforms of the SEND system which are also some years away from delivery and are underfunded鈥�. But DfE also said the special schools figures may 鈥渂e a result of the way capacity has been measured which does not take account of type of need鈥�. DfE said due to the 鈥渧aried nature鈥� of SEND provision, 鈥渢here can be high amounts of local variation that national figures do not capture鈥�. There was a primary special school surplus of about 1,700 places. DfE said this could be a result of how the total capacity of all-through special schools has been 鈥渁pportioned between the primary and secondary phases鈥�. DfE also said the figures are 鈥渙fficial statistics under development鈥� and they expect the data quality to improve overtime.聽 Warren Carratt, CEO of special school Nexus MAT, said it was 鈥減rogressive that thedepartment are now starting to collate this data. But it is also an exercise that is chronically overdue and it just isn鈥檛 good enough that the figures are 鈥榦fficial statistics under development鈥� with data quality expected to improve over time. 鈥淲hile we wait for that, the front line is facing more and more overcrowding of its schools and families are having to wait longer and longer for places.鈥� Carratt said this could also 鈥渟hockingly鈥� suggest that special schools are underfunded tothe tune of 拢40 million 鈥� as councils do not have to pay place funding if a school is full. This is something the government鈥檚 SEND safety valve programme 鈥渁ctively encourages鈥�among councils with large deficits, he added. According to the data, Essex was the most over capacity, by 389 places. This was followed by Lancashire, at 378 places.