Northamptonshire primary schools booked more than 1,000 days of external SEND support in a year

Primary schools in Northamptonshire booked more than 1,000 days of external SEND support during 2025, according to new recruitment data from Teaching Tomorrow. Secondary schools in Northants recorded much lower external SEND demand, with 14 placements generating 96 days of support during 2025.

Analysis of the education recruitment specialist’s placement records shows Northants primary schools made 212 SEND-related bookings during the year, a total of 1,084 days of support. The average placement lasted around 5.1 days, suggesting schools were drawing on a mixture of short-term and more sustained support for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

Teaching Tomorrow says the figures show the extent to which external staff are being used to support pupils with additional needs, including through teaching assistant, learning support and one-to-one roles.

The findings come against a backdrop of rising SEND needs. According to Ofsted data, more than 11,300 primary pupils across Northamptonshire are identified as having SEND, including 5,482 in North Northamptonshire and 5,875 in West Northamptonshire.

Nationally, latest Department for Education figures show the proportion of primary pupils with SEND increased from 18.2% in 2025 to 19.4% in 2026. More than 1.85 million pupils across England now have special educational needs, including 538,547 with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), up 11.6% in a year.

The pressure is also reflected in local authority figures. West Northamptonshire Council says the number of children and young people with EHCPs has increased by 88% since the authority was formed in 2021, while North Northamptonshire recorded a 7.4% year-on-year increase in the number of pupils receiving SEN support or with an EHC plan between 2023 and 2024.

Adam Shulman, co-founder of Teaching Tomorrow, said: “What stands out in Northamptonshire is the consistency of the demand. Schools are regularly bringing in SEND staff across a range of different types and lengths of placement, suggesting external support is being used as an ongoing part of how some schools respond to changing needs.

“There are also lots of practical reasons why schools use agency staff rather than immediately recruit permanently. It may be to cover sickness, parental leave or another long-term absence, or to maintain support while a permanent vacancy is being filled. Budgets can also be a factor, with schools sometimes needing the flexibility to bring in additional support without committing to a permanent post.”

Across all four counties analysed by Teaching Tomorrow, primary schools accounted for 4,117.5 days of external SEND support during the year, compared with just 350 days in secondary schools. Primary schools accounted for 92.2% of all SEND agency days recorded.

A primary SEND teaching assistant in Northamptonshire said: “The role can change significantly from one placement to another. In one school you might be helping a small group work towards EHCP targets, while in another you could be providing one-to-one sensory or behavioural support. What matters is being able to adapt quickly to the child, the classroom and the school’s existing support arrangements, because no two SEND placements are exactly the same.”

Adam added: “SEND support isn’t simply about putting another adult in the classroom. A pupil may need someone with particular skills, experience or an understanding of specific adjustments. The priority is finding the right person and, where continuity matters, being able to keep that support in place.”

Teaching Tomorrow analysed SEND placements made through the agency during 2025 across Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Oxfordshire.

For more information, visit www.teachingtomorrow.co.uk