Lincolnshire's Inclusion Strategy 2025-26

Outcomes

Overview

Children with EHC plans do less well than their peers without EHC plans in all key stages and subjects, which reflects the national picture.
 
SEND pupil performance in Lincolnshire shows mixed trends across key stages. While there are some improvements due to the strength in provision, particularly for EHCP pupils in early years and phonics, SEN support pupils are consistently underperforming compared to national and regional benchmarks, with widening gaps in certain areas.

Early years foundation stage profile (EYFSP)

  • non-SEND: 
    • 74% achieved a good level of development (GLD), 4% below national
  • SEN support:
    • 21% achieved a good level of development (GLD), 6% below national
    • performance dropped by 3% from 2024, while comparators improved
    • the gap between SEN support and the non-SEND children is 4% bigger in Lincolnshire (54% below) than at national (50% below)
  • EHC plan:
    • 4% achieved GLD, in line with national but much lower than non-EHCP children 
    • improved by 2%, outperforming comparators
    • the gap between EHCP and the non-SEND children is 3% smaller in Lincolnshire (70% below) than at national (73% below)

Key Concern: SEN support pupils are falling behind all comparators. Pupils with EHC plans still do not perform well.

Year 1 phonics

  • non-SEND:
    • 88% met expected standard, in line with national
  • SEN support:
    • 49% met expected standard, 3% below national, but improved by 3% from 2024
    • the gap between SEN support and the non-SEND children is 3% bigger in Lincolnshire (39% below) than at national (36% below). However, the size of the gap is falling
  • EHC plan:
    • 21% met expected standard, in line with national
    • the gap between EHCP and the non-SEND children is in line with national in Lincolnshire (67% below) compared national (68% below)

Positive trend: Both SEN support and EHC plan pupils improved in the same pattern as national and local neighbours, but overall their outcomes ae much lower than non-SEND pupils.


Key stage 2 SATs

  • non-SEND: 
    • 71% achieved expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, 2% below national
    • now ahead of our other comparators
  • SEN support:
    • 23% achieved expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, 5% below national
    • gap with comparators is widening.
    • the gap between SEN support and the non-SEND children is 4% larger in Lincolnshire (48% below) than at national (44% below)
  • EHC plan:
    • 8% achieved expected standard, broadly in line with regional neighbours. 1% below national
    • the gap between EHCP and the non-SEND children in Lincolnshire is in line with national (63% below)

Key concern: SEN support pupils significantly underperform; EHC plan pupils' outcomes stable but remain low.

Key stage 4 GCSEs

  • non-SEND: 
    • 71% achieved grade 4+ and 48% grade 5+, now below national after recent declines
  • SEN support:
    • 36% achieved grade 4+ and 20% grade 5+, now below national after recent declines
    • the gap between SEN support and the non-SEND children for grade 4+ is 1% larger in Lincolnshire (35% below) than at national (34% below), and for grade 5+ is 1% smaller in Lincolnshire (28% below) than at national (29% below)
  • EHC plan:
    • 13% achieved grade 4+ and 6% grade 5+, now 2% below national 
    • the gap between EHCP and the non-SEND children for grade 4+ is the same in Lincolnshire and at national (58% below), and for grade 5+ is 1% smaller in Lincolnshire (43% below) than at national (44% below)

Key Concern: declining trend for SEN support; EHC plan pupils still show limited progress and attainment.
 

Inspections:

Lincolnshire's children's services received a consecutive Ofsted outstanding rating in April 2023, recognising excellent practice and high-quality leadership. Since this full inspection, when children’s services were judged to be outstanding overall but good for the experiences of care leavers, Lincolnshire’s leaving care service received a focused visit in July 2025.  Ofsted found that leaders have been resolute in their quest to improve services for care leavers. Tangible progress was recognised to have been made as a result of relentless determination and an effective transformation programme, that had resulted in the care leavers’ service being insourced. 

The Ofsted and CQC Area SEND inspection of Lincolnshire Local Area Partnership took place in February 2025.  The inspection recognised the clear governance structure in place that provides effective strategic oversight of services across education, health and social care, the partnership’s ambition for children and young people with SEND, active engagement of stakeholders in decision-making, and effective support for young people with SEND to reach steps to education and employment.  

There are aspects of the impact of the partnership’s work to support children’s and young people’s lived experiences that is inconsistent.  The inspection recognised the partnership’s shared determination to improve the education, health and social care services that support children and young people with SEND across Lincolnshire.  This document sets out this ongoing journey.      

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