The latest Department for Education data on Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) highlights two clear messages for specialist further education. Demand for post-16 SEND provision continues to grow rapidly, and increasing numbers of young people with EHCPs are being recorded outside of the formal FE sector. Together, these trends raise important questions about transitions, access to appropriate provision and outcomes for young people as they move into adulthood.
This article highlights the key findings from Natspec’s analysis of the DfE’s 2026 EHCP data. Please refer to our more detailed presentation for additional data and commentary.
Growing demand, growing risk
There are now more than 143,000 16-to-19-year-olds with EHCPs, a 12.4% increase on the previous year, while the number of 20-to-25-year-olds has risen to almost 40,000. Most significant of all is the 15.7% growth among 11-to-15-year-olds, indicating that unprecedented numbers of young people with EHCPs will soon be progressing towards the post-16 sector. As demand increases, the challenge will be to ensure that sufficient high-quality provision will be available when these young people leave school.
While more young people with EHCPs are entering further education, there is a large proportion of 16-to-25-year-olds that are not placed in FE settings. Of the 183,030 young people in this age group with an EHCP, only 99,972 (55%) are recorded in FE. More than 38,000 remain in schools, but the most striking finding is the growing number of young people who fall outside formal FE provision altogether: over 40,000 are recorded as being “educated elsewhere”, accounting for almost 22% of all EHCP holders aged 16 to 25.
The “educated elsewhere” category includes almost 22,000 young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), up from just over 15,000 in 2023/24. Natspec has recommended that the DfE remove NEET young people from this category, as their inclusion obscures understanding of what provision, if any, these young people are accessing.
These trends should concern policymakers. As young people move through the system, it appears increasingly difficult to sustain them in recognised education and training. The data does not tell us exactly why this is happening, and the continuing inclusion of NEET young people within the broader “educated elsewhere” category makes interpretation particularly challenging.
The data also raises important questions about outcomes. Almost 18,000 ceased EHCPs for young people aged 16 to 25 fall into the category of “young person no longer wishes to engage in education or training”, making it impossible to know whether young people are moving into positive destinations or simply disappearing from the system. Better information about destinations, outcomes and the reasons ECHPs cease will be essential if policymakers are to assess whether the SEND system is delivering successful transitions to adulthood.
Taken together, these findings point to four interconnected challenges: rapidly rising demand, growing numbers of young people outside formal FE provision, increasing levels of young people with EHCPs who are NEET, and limited visibility of longer-term outcomes. While the growth in EHCP numbers reflects greater recognition of need, it also exposes the risk that more young people could struggle to access appropriate provision and support as they move into adulthood.
The scale of this challenge highlights the need for stronger transition planning, better information and guidance, and greater transparency about the nature and quality of provision being accessed by young people outside mainstream education routes. Policymakers also need a clearer understanding of destinations and outcomes so that they can determine whether the SEND system is delivering the successful transitions that young people and their families expect.
Specialist FE’s distinctive contribution
Against this backdrop, the data highlights the strategic importance of specialist post-16 institutions (SPIs).
Highly specialist: Although they educate only around 11% of learners with EHCPs in FE and around 6% of all 16-to-25-year-olds with EHCPs, a proportion that has remained steady since 2014, SPIs support a disproportionately high number of learners with the most complex and low-incidence needs, including higher proportions of young people with profound and multiple learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties, physical disabilities and visual impairments.
Preparing learners for employment: Specialist colleges make a distinctive contribution to employment, with more than 6% of learners with EHCPs in SPIs are on work-based programmes, compared with 2.4% in General FE Colleges. Specialist colleges also deliver a disproportionately high share of supported internships relative to their size. At the same time, supported internships account for fewer than 3% of all learners with EHCPs in FE, reinforcing the need for a broader discussion about employment pathways and preparation for adulthood.
Independent living skills: For some young people with the most complex needs, residential education remains an important part of the specialist offer. Specialist colleges continue to play a central role in supporting this cohort, accounting for around 40% of residential placements for 16-to-25-year-olds, and 89% of residential placements for the FE sector. This highlights the continuing need for a diverse range of specialist provision, including residential options where appropriate, to ensure that young people with complex needs can access education and develop the skills required for greater independence and adulthood.
Overall, the 2026 data strengthens the case for SEND reform to focus more sharply on both post-16 and post-19 learners. Rising demand, growing numbers of young people outside recognised provision, and limited visibility of destination and outcomes all point to the need for action. The evidence suggests four priorities: stronger transition planning, greater clarity about provision recorded as “educated elsewhere”, better information on destinations and outcomes, and a broader approach to preparation for adulthood that includes employment, independent living and community participation.
For policy makers, the message is clear. Specialist colleges educate a relatively small proportion of learners with EHCPs overall, but they remain a strategically important part of the SEND system, particularly for young people with the most complex needs.