Lack of specialist staff hinders support for Send children, teacher survey finds

Seven out of 10 teachers who responded to the NEU survey said lack of access to specialist services for Send pupils was a problem. Photograph: PA

Oversized classes and inadequate staffing levels are hindering teachers’ capacity to support children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send), according to a large survey of state school teachers in England.

Nine out of 10 (89%) of the 10,000 teachers who took part in the poll by the National Education Union (NEU), before its annual conference in Brighton which starts on Monday, said class sizes were too big to be “properly inclusive”.