53 % 52 % 51 % 50 % 49 % 49 % 49 %
43 %
Who has found it more difficult to get special educational needs support for their child
Parents with a household income under £ 20,000
Parents in Wales
Child attends a standalone local authority school
Parents with a disability
Child attends a Multi-Academy Trust school
Mums
Child aged 16 to 18
All parents
53 % 52 % 51 % 50 % 49 % 49 % 49 %
43 %
Sample: 5,866 parents in England( 3,391), Scotland( 1,309), Wales( 865) and Northern Ireland( 301) who have at least one child aged 4 to 18 in school. Base: All UK parents whose child has SEN( 1,271)
• 28 % of parents with household incomes over £ 100,000 have had difficulty obtaining a diagnosis for their child ' s special educational needs, compared to 47 % of parents with household incomes under £ 50,000
• Almost two-thirds( 64 %) of parents with household incomes under £ 20,000 say they have experienced long waiting times for a special educational needs diagnosis, compared to under half( 47 %) for parents with household incomes over £ 100,000
Nearly 6 in 10
( 58 %) parents with a child with special educational needs say they have experienced long waiting times for assessments
Photography: istock. com / SolStock
32 THE NATIONAL PARENT SURVEY 2025