Worrying statistics recently emerged from the department for education to highlight the twin challenges schools are facing relating to both pupil behaviour and children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Permanent exclusions in primary and secondary schools increased year-on-year by 35 per cent to 4,168 in the 2023/24 autumn term, according to the published late last year. These numbers alone are concerning, but particularly troubling is that SEND pupils account for roughly half of exclusions, rising to nearly 90 per cent in primary schools. What should be absolutely clear is that no headteacher ever wants to exclude a SEND pupil. Without wider support, however, many will feel they have no other option. This is reflected in the results of our latest , which focused on SEND issues. Conducted in October, the survey captured the views of more than 200 leaders 鈥� including CEOs, executive headteachers, trustees and governors 鈥� representing about 1,650 schools that are collectively responsible for nearly one million pupils across England. Nearly two-thirds (65 per cent) of respondents said they were either 鈥渉ighly dissatisfied鈥� or 鈥渄issatisfied鈥� with existing guidance on supporting SEND pupils. In particular, there were concerns with advice on exclusions (62 per cent were 鈥渉ighly dissatisfied鈥� or 鈥渄issatisfied鈥�) and absence management (58 per cent). The dangers of insufficient guidance have been brought to light with some well-publicised safeguarding incidents involving SEND pupils being unlawfully restrained in so-called 鈥渃alming rooms鈥�. As a result, the Children鈥檚 Commissioner has called for changes to guidance on the use of seclusion in special schools. The DfE is exploring how to strengthen this. More broadly, one of the key issues identified in the survey results 鈥� alongside the huge shortfall in funding 鈥� is a lack of consistency in the approach to SEND across different areas of the country. SEND pupils account for roughly half of all exclusions One assistant headteacher at a trust covering five different local authority areas told us they have to deal with five different processes and five different education, health and care plan (EHCP) templates. Since the publication of the SEND Code of Practice in 2014, there have been questions around when 鈥� or if 鈥� a standardised template will be prepared for EHCPs, but there is still no sign. Forty-one per cent of respondents want to see this prioritised. It鈥檚 no surprise, then, that creating a national set of SEND standards was regarded as the biggest priority issue for 68 per cent of school leaders. In the grand scheme of things, this would be a relatively straightforward change and could make a significant difference to schools, local authorities and parents. The government may also be interested in the fact that 66 per cent of respondents supported the previous administration鈥檚 plan to provide funding for an additional 33 special schools. Meanwhile, 48 per cent believe the creation of local SEND and alternative provision partnerships is an important policy. We also asked school leaders about the best way of improving access to specialist mental health professionals. This was a key part of Labour鈥檚 manifesto during the 2024 general election campaign. The government鈥檚 proposal is to train existing members of staff, but this was the preferred approach by only 14 per cent of respondents. The most popular policies would be to increase investment in existing child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) 鈥� favoured by 38 per cent 鈥� additional funding for schools to access such support as needed (28 per cent), and recruitment of more mental health professionals (15 per cent). The overriding issue through much of this, of course, is money. Nine in 10 school leaders aren鈥檛 content with SEND funding, and while the government pledged an extra 拢1 billion in the autumn budget, this is realistically only a sticking plaster. More broadly, 82 per cent are dissatisfied with the government鈥檚 overall approach to SEND. The education select committee has into 鈥楽olving the SEND crisis鈥�. It is welcoming written submissions from stakeholders until 30 January 2025. Schools should grab this opportunity to have their say and seek to influence real change.