Schools crisis in England as special needs staff quit ‘in droves’ over pay

Observer survey shows half of state schools struggle to recruit vital teaching assistants

Almost every state school in England is struggling to provide proper support for children with special educational needs because of insufficient support staff, a new survey has revealed.

In a poll of 922 special educational needs and disabilities (Send) coordinators in primary and secondary schools across England, conducted exclusively for the Observer by education consultancy Sendco Solutions, only six schools said they did not have a problem with numbers of support staff for children with additional needs. With teaching assistants typically able to earn more working at their local supermarket, schools say crucial support workers are leaving “in droves”, and they cannot find anyone to replace them because the pay is too low.