23/09/2025

Today we publish a landmark report into special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and early literacy.

Our report finds that the use of systematic early reading support is instrumental in improving the literacy skills for both pupils with SEND and without but, crucially, we also found that introducing it early in KS1 to all low performing pupils ensures that any pupil who may have SEND is not left behind.

Put simply, it is a paradigm shift for in the way we think about early literacy and SEND. You can find the full report here.

What we found?

The inclusion track in our Apex project proved instrumental in several ways:

• Nearly all pupils who had been identified as having SEND but did not have an Education, Health and Care Plans were felt by their teachers to be effectively supported by the sustained, low-cost reading inclusion track that was part of the project.
• SEND pupils generally made both phonics knowledge and fluency gains with a strong basis for further work in Key Stage 2.
• SEND pupils particularly benefitted from relationships and oral expression within reading sessions, including aspects of fun and emotional comfort.

Why does it matter?

Our report comes at a vital time for SEND pupils and the education sector more widely:

• National data shows that 59% of SEND pupils leave primary school not at the expected standard.
• This is backed up by our own report that showed that 87% of the pupils who were identified as having any SEND needs in Year 1 were struggling with the reading curriculum.

Moreover, part of what makes the SEND crisis so difficult to navigate is that so many of the ideas that are discussed are both expensive and divisive.

Parents, students, teachers and, importantly, ministers desperately need ideas that can provide both concrete support for children but that are also not completely isolated from the financial reality that grips local and national Government.

Importantly, our programme is far from eye wateringly expensive – specifically, 50 hours of reading support amounts to £1000 for a SEND pupil identified.

Mike Fischer, Founder and Chairman of the Fischer Family Trust said:

‘The SEND crisis is bankrupting councils, driving the attendance crisis and causing political functions left and right.

Our report offers a cost-effective and unifying solution to the SEND crisis. We have found that the use of systematic early reading support for children who are falling behind in Year 1 and Year 2 will prove instrumental effective in improving the literacy skills for both pupils with SEND and without but also, ensuring that any pupils with SEND are not left behind.

With the Government set to publish their own White Paper on the SEND crisis, they would do well to read the report and consider our findings.’