Emma Sanderson, Managing Director of Momenta Connect, part of Outcomes First Group, a leading provider of world class education, discusses ‘SEN-betweeners’.
This December, the government will release the latest figures on Children Missing Education (CME) and the numbers are expected to rise once again. Last year’s statistics already painted a deeply concerning picture:
“As of the autumn 2024 census, local authorities reported 39,200 children missing education – up from an estimated 33,000 in the previous year.”
Behind those numbers are not statistics, but real children, many of whom are slipping through the cracks of a system not designed to recognise or meet their needs. Among them is a growing group often overlooked – the ‘SEN-betweeners’. These are children who don’t fit neatly into a category. They are academically capable yet face significant struggles with anxiety, social interaction, or sensory overload in mainstream classrooms.
For these children, school can become an overwhelming place. When the classroom becomes too much, some are quietly sent to sit in corridors or isolated spaces, missing lessons and social opportunities. Without tailored support, they become increasingly detached, anxious, and invisible. Their potential is not lost through lack of ability, but through a lack of understanding and appropriate provision.
Even when their challenges are recognised, chronic underfunding often prevents schools from providing the right interventions. Staff may want to help but simply don’t have the resources, time, or training to do so effectively. Learning gaps, many of which widened during the pandemic, are sometimes mistaken for poor motivation or effort. For pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, stigma and barriers compound the problem, leaving them even more vulnerable.
The result is a growing attainment gap between pupils with SEND and their peers. For the ‘in-betweeners’, this gap is particularly stark. They are more likely to experience bullying and social exclusion, and their time away from the classroom makes forming friendships and developing confidence even harder. Some children disappear entirely from the radar of support services, effectively falling out of education altogether.
What needs to change?
Addressing this crisis requires early, effective, and sustained support. Providing timely help for children struggling in mainstream settings could prevent many from reaching crisis point or requiring specialist placement later.
We need inclusive classrooms designed with all learners in mind, environments with quiet spaces, sensory-friendly setups, and reduced clutter to support focus and calm. Embedding specialist teachers within mainstream settings would ensure that children’s needs are recognised and addressed from the start, not after years of struggle.
Above all, we must confront the chronic underfunding of SEND support. If local services could offer a wider range of tailored options, such as specialist units within mainstream schools, alternative provision, or blended learning, education could adapt to the child, not the other way around.
Every child deserves to learn, to belong, and to be seen. With the right support, no pupil should be left waiting in a corridor while their confidence and potential quietly fades away.
