28 October 2025

The Runnymede Trust and the Communities Empowerment Network have published a report on the sustained impact of school exclusions on Black children, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Their findings reveal that in mainstream institutions, Black students are disproportionately affected by exclusion policies. And alarmingly, 40% of those being supported by the Runnymede Trust have identified SEND, not including the many who are undiagnosed. The report does crucial work in examining why this may be the case.

Exclusions are rarely the answer

The report explains how Black students – especially boys – are more likely to be labelled as disruptive rather than being provided with the support they require to succeed in their education. This can lead to exclusions being used as punishment and this is increasingly likely if a child is in crisis due to their special educational needs not being met.

There is also evidence of a historically rooted practice of assuming Black children may have SEND, when in fact they are in need of emotional or social support. It’s essential that SEND identification and provision are approached without racial stereotyping, so that children who need it can access the support they are legally entitled to.

Research done as part of a recent community research project we’ve undertaken supports these findings, with schools often unaware of institutional racism and sometimes unwilling to engage in dialogue with parents. The report rightly encourages educators to consider what other factors might be contributing to a child or young person’s behaviour, especially for Black students.

The report also notes how unofficial exclusions are possibly being used to avoid providing support for those from Black and minoritised ethnic communities, as well as children with undiagnosed SEND. In some cases, this avoidance of support is being used to the extreme to provide an illusion of high attainment, with the report noting that “academies exclude students at twice the rate of local authority schools, and Black Caribbean students are excluded four times more than their white peers in academies.”

The law is clear  that exclusions are only to be used as a last resort for disciplinary reasons, and all schools, nurseries and colleges have a best endeavours duty to provide SEN support for children who need it. Sending a child out of school does not remove this duty – suitable alternative provision, including SEN support, must be provided if the child is of compulsory school age.

Concerningly, the report states that local authorities rarely listen to complaints about alternative full-time education for racially minoritised children and young people with SEND, and as a result families are being encouraged by organisations such as the Runnymede Trust to instead bring their complaint to the Department for Education. This shows a systematic failing on the parts of schools and local authorities to provide adequate SEND support to those at risk of or experiencing exclusion, with a racial bias that is unnerving in 2025.

More funding is needed to support children with SEND

The report recognises that minority ethnic groups are amongst the most economically disadvantaged in the UK, with an increased chance of families not being able to access appointments due to work, or afford private SEND assessments. It’s important to flag, however, that local authorities must provide EHC assessments in accordance with the legal test – if a child may have special educational needs, and may need an EHC plan to meet those needs - and that certain settings have a duty to use their ‘best endeavours’  to provide SEN support to those who need it, with or without a diagnosis.

We know that schools and local authorities are feeling the impact of tight budgets; however, the report suggests the lack of funding for support for children and young people with SEND could be contributing to the increase in exclusion, with schools using it as a way to trigger financial support.

But exclusions should never be used as a way of accessing support from a local authority, and it is unclear how schools are hoping to achieve support through exclusions. The report also suggests that some schools are taking advantage of the funding being provided for Black students with EHC plans, spending the money elsewhere instead of on the support detailed in the EHC plan.

This is shocking and heartbreaking to hear when we know how difficult it can be for children and young people to secure an EHC plan. It is important schools recognise EHC plans as legally binding documents, and such actions could have serious consequences for the school and local authority, as well as for children who need support.

We need greater accountability and compliance with the law

The report highlights the devastating consequence of a lack of SEND provision intertwined with structural injustice and racial bias. Findings from our community research project evidence schools being closed to communication with minority ethnic families – whether due to unconscious bias or lack of cultural understanding. It is so important that schools openly communicate with all families about their child’s needs, and about the exclusions process where this is unavoidable.

The report echoes our call for compliance with the existing robust SEND legal framework, backed up by sufficient funding, plus an emphasis on anti-racist practice in SEND assessments and decision-making.

About the author

Laura is a training coordinator for IPSEA, ensuring anyone who wants to sign up for a training day finds what they’re looking for and has a great experience. With a background in educational policy and campaigning, they also assist the Policy Team in research and administration. Their interest in policy and the law started while studying art history, where they specialised in art as a means of protest. Laura has experience working with children with SEND and lives with a physical disability. In their spare time, they enjoy computer gaming, playing DnD and reading historical fiction. 

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