Oversight of special education for young people aged 16-25 : seventieth report of session 2010-12, report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence

Almost a third of young people with a Statement of special educational needs at the age of 16 are not in any form of education, employment or training two years later.

The Government spent GBP640 million on special education for 16- to 25-year-olds in 2009-10, yet too many of these young people are falling through the gaps after they leave compulsory education, damaging their life chances and leaving a legacy of costs to the taxpayer.

The system is extremely complex and difficult to navigate, with an array of different providers.

Too many parents and young people are not given the information they need to make decisions about what is right for them.

But three quarters of local authorities do not give parents any information at all about the respective performance of schools, FE colleges and specialist providers.

The Department doesn't know how much money is actually spent on support.

The huge variation between local authorities in funding per student suggests that a postcode lottery is at work.

Students with higher-level needs are placed on the basis of statutory assessments of need; however, witnesses emphasised just how patchy the quality of these assessments can be. The opportunity for reform presented by the Department's recent Special Educational Needs Green Paper should be used to address our concerns It is right for local authorities to decide how to meet the needs of young people in their area - but local people must have access to clear information so that they can hold local authorities to account for how well they deliver