Post-16 Transitions: a Longitudinal Study of Young People with ...

Table 3.9: Main SEN difficulty at school by school type
Comparing the type of school the young person attended
against their main special educational need (Table 3.9) it can
be seen that young people who attended mainstream schools
were proportionally more likely to have cognition and
learning difficulties as their main special educational need
than those attending special schools (58 per cent compared to
44 per cent). Conversely, young people who attended special
schools were proportionally more likely to have
communication or interaction problems or sensory and/or
physical disabilities than those who attended mainstream
schools.
The overwhelming majority of young people who had
attended a special school had statements (95 per cent), while
less than one-third of young people attending mainstream
schools had statements of SEN (31 per cent).
3.3 Changes to needs since Year 11
Special Mainstream
N = % N = %
Communication and interaction 146 28 217 18
Cognition and learning 231 44 686 58
Sensory and/or physical 50 10 72 5
Behaviour, emotional and social behaviour 91 18 193 19
Total 518 100 1,168 100
Note: All percentages are weighted percentages, unless otherwise stated
Source IES/MORI 2003
Approximately four in ten parents/carers (41 per cent)
reported that the special educational needs of the young
person had changed since Year 11 (Table 3.10). Of those
reporting a change in the young person’s special educational
needs over half (57 per cent) suggested there had been an
improvement, while just under one in ten (nine per cent)
suggested that the condition had deteriorated.
The group most likely to report a change in needs since Year
11 were those who had behavioural, emotional or social
development needs while the groups least likely to be
associated with a change were those with severe learning
difficulties or physical disabilities (Table 3.11).
22 Post-16 Transitions of Young People with SEN: Wave 2