Education
Education brings many benefits, for the individual and for society as a whole. It improves career prospects, boosts the economy and even extends our lifespans. Education is not only about acquiring knowledge and skills but also about personal growth, critical thinking and social development. Learning ensures that children develop the knowledge and understanding, skills, capabilities and attributes that they need for mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing now and in the future.
Children with poorer mental health are more likely to have lower educational attainment and there is some evidence to suggest that the highest level of educational qualifications is a significant predictor of wellbeing in adult life; educational qualifications are a determinant of an individual's labour market position, which in turn influences income, housing and other material resources.
Educational attainment is influenced by both the quality of education children receive and their family socio-economic circumstances. Monitoring the achievements and outcomes of education is important for assessing how effective educational systems are and identifying areas that need improvement. Indicators such as educational attainment, resilience and emotional well-being offer valuable insights into the experiences and outcomes of young people in education. These indicators guide policies and interventions to ensure equitable access to excellent education for all.
School readiness
Children are defined as having a good level of development at the end of the early years foundation stage (EYFS) if they are at the expected level for the 12 early learning goals (ELGs) within the 5 areas of learning relating to:
- communication and language
- personal, social and emotional development
- physical development
- literacy
- mathematics.
EYFS reforms were introduced in September 2021, as part of those reforms, the EYFS profile was significantly revised. It is therefore not possible to directly compare 2021 to 2022 assessment outcomes with earlier years. The 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021 data collections were cancelled due to coronavirus (COVID19).
Percentage of children achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception
In 2023/24, 65.0% of children in Bury achieved a good level of development at the end of Reception, which is statistically worse than the national average of 67.7%. This represents a slight decrease from 2022/23, when 65.7% of children in Bury met this benchmark, a figure that was statistically similar to England’s 67.2%. In 2021/22, 63.3% of children in Bury achieved a good level of development, also statistically similar to the national average of 65.2%.Child and Maternal Health 2025. The recent trend could not be calculated (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Percentage (%) of children achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception for Bury and England for the period 2021/22 to 2023/24 (Child and Maternal Health, 2025)
Bury has the 4th highest percentage of children achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception in its group of 6 statistical children service neighbours with the highest percentage in Stockton-on-Tees at 69.5% and lowest in Sefton at 62.7% (Child and Maternal Health, 2025).
Data on inequalities for Bury are available by sex. For 2023/24, 73.5% of females achieved a good level of development at the end of Reception, statistically better than the Bury average, compared to 58% of males, statistically worse than the Bury average.
Data on inequalities for England are available by deprivation, ethnic groups, first language status, special educational needs (SEN) status, month born and by sex.
Analysis of the data on deprivation shows a higher percentage of school readiness in the least deprived deciles and a lower percentage of school readiness in the most deprived deciles. In 2023/24, 71.7% of children in the least deprived decile achieved a good level of development at the end of Reception, 69.7% in the 3rd less deprived decile and 69.6% in the 2nd least deprived decile. In the most deprived decile, 62.8% of children achieved a good level of development at the end of Reception, 65.6% in the 2nd most deprived decile and 66.3% in the 3rd more deprived decile.
Inequalities for ethnic groups show the mixed/multiple (69.5%) and white (69.2%) ethnic groups having the highest and statistically better proportion of children achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception in 2023/24. Not known/not stated (50.4%) and other ethnic groups (60.2%) have the lowest and statistically worse proportions than the England average.
Inequalities by first language status show those whose first language is English have the highest and statistically better proportion of children achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception in 2023/24, at 69.7%. Those whose first language is other than English (63.5% and unclassified (48.6%) are both statistically worse than the England average.
Special educational needs (SEN) status inequality data shows 24.9% of children with SEN support and 3.8% of children with a Statement or EHCP have the lowest rates of achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception. Data shows 75.6% of children in England with no identified SEN achieved a good level of development at the end of Reception in 2023/24.
A higher percentage of children achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception was seen in those born in the autumn (75.6%) compared to those born in the spring (69.5%) with children born in the summer having the lowest proportion achieving a good level (60.0%).
By sex, a higher percentage of females (75.0%) achieved a good level of development at the end of Reception compared to males (60.7%).
Percentage of children with free school meal status achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception
In 2023/24, 48.7% of children with free school meal status in Bury achieved a good level of development at the end of Reception. This was lower than the national average of 51.5%, but the difference was not statistically significant. In 2022/23, the proportion in Bury had slightly decreased to 48.4%, also statistically similar but lower than England’s 51.6%. In 2021/22, 50.2% of children with free school meal status in Bury reached a good level of development, which was higher but still statistically similar to the national figure of 49.1%. A recent trend could not be calculated (Figure 2). (Child and Maternal Health 2025)
Figure 2: Percentage (%) of children with free school status achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception for Bury and England for the period 2021/22 to 2023/24 (Child and Maternal Health, 2025)
Bury has the 2nd highest percentage of children with free school meal status achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception in its group of 6 statistical children service neighbours with the highest percentage in Stockton-on-Tees at 54.1% and lowest in Sefton at 41.3% (Child and Maternal Health, 2025).
Data on inequalities for Bury are available by sex. For 2023/24, 58.6% of females achieved a good level of development at the end of Reception, statistically better than the Bury average, compared to 41.2% of males, statistically similar to the Bury average.
Data on inequalities for England are available by deprivation, ethnic groups, special educational needs (SEN) status and by sex.
Analysis of the data on deprivation shows a higher percentage of children with free school meal status achieving a good level ot development at the end of Reception in the most deprived deciles and a lower percentage in the least deprived deciles. In 2023/24, 54.2% of children with free school meal status in the most and 2nd most deprived deciles achieved a good level of development at the end of Reception. In the least deprived decile, 46.6% of children achieved a good level of development at the end of Reception, 48.2% in the 2nd least deprived decile and 48.6%% in the 4th least deprived decile.
Inequalities for ethnic groups show the Asian/Asian British including Chinese (59.4%) and Black/African/Caribbean/Black British (57.3%) ethnic groups having the highest and statistically better proportion of children with free school meal status achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception in 2023/24. White (49.1%) had the lowest and statistically worse proportions when compared to England average with not known/not stated (50.8%) having a statistically similar proportion to England average.
Special educational needs (SEN) status inequality data shows 19.3% of children with SEN support and 3.1% of children with a Statement or EHCP with free school meal status have the lowest rates of achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception. Data shows 61.2% of free school meal status children in England with no identified SEN achieved a good level of development at the end of Reception in 2023/24.
By sex, a higher percentage of females (60.1%) with free school meal status achieved a good level of development at the end of Reception compared to males (43.2%).
School readiness comparison of data for children with and without free school meal status.
In Bury, for the period 2023/24, 65.0% of children without free school meal status achieve a good level of development at the end of Reception compared to 48.7% of children with free school meal status (figure 3).
Figure 3: Inequalities in percentage (%) of children achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception in Bury for the period 2023/24 (Child and Maternal Health, 2025)
Key Stage 4
Key Stage 4 is the final stage of secondary education in England, typically covering Years 10 and 11, when pupils are aged 14 to 16. It is a crucial phase as it culminates in the completion of compulsory education and leads to various pathways for further education, training, or employment.
Average Attainment 8 score
Academic achievement of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 is measured as the Average Attainment 8 score. The Attainment 8 score is calculated by assigning point values to a pupil's performance in a set of specified subjects, including English (both literature and language), mathematics, sciences, humanities and additional optional subjects. Each subject is assigned a point value based on the pupil's attainment level, with higher scores awarded for higher grades. The points achieved across all subjects are then added up to calculate the Attainment 8 score.
This indicator is presented as a mean score for all pupils in state-funded schools, based on local authority of pupil residence.
Most recent data from 2022/23 suggests that the Average Attainment 8 score in Bury was 45.6 similar to NW average (44.5) and slightly lower than England average of 46.2 (Child and Maternal Health, 2024).
Please note that Trend chart is not displayed as the way GCSE grades were awarded changed during the Covid-19 pandemic. 2020 and 2021 data should not be directly compared to attainment data from previous years for the purposes of measuring changes in pupil performance.
Bury has the 4th lowest Average Attainment 8 score in its group of 6 statistical children service neighbours with the highest score in Stockport at 47.6 and lowest in Sefton at 42.8 (Child and Maternal Health, 2024).
No data on inequalities are available for Bury. For England, inequalities data are available for deprivation, ethnic groups, first language status, special educational needs (SEN) status, eligibility for free school meals and sex.
Deprivation data for England shows the highest mean score (52.2) is obtained in the least deprived decile. The score for the most deprived decile is 43.3.
The ethnic group with the highest score in England is Asian/Asian British including Chinese, followed by other ethnic group at 46.9.The lowest score of 42.0 is in the not known/not stated group, followed by White ethnic group at 45.1.
Those with a first language other than English in England have the highest score of 48.5 compared to 45.8 for those with English as a first language.
For SEN status in England, those with SEN support have a score of 33.2, those with a Statement or EHCP have a score of 14.0, with those having no identified SEN the score is 49.9.
Children in England eligible for free school meals scored 34.7, compared to a score of 49.5 for those children not eligible for free school meals.
For sex, females scored higher at 48.5 than males at 43.9.
Average Attainment 8 Score among children eligible for Free School Meals (FSM)
Educational attainment is influenced by both the quality of education children receive and their family socio-economic circumstances. Being on FSM is considered to be a good indicator of socio-economic disadvantage in the UK. Children and young people in the UK are usually eligible for free school meals (FSM) if their parents or carers are on a low income or in receipt of certain benefits. Children on FSM perform relatively poorly compared to counterparts without FSM.
This indicator shows attainment for children eligible for free school meals. Attainment is measured via the Average Attainment 8 measure which is calculated by adding together a pupil’s highest scores across eight government approved qualifications (including GCSEs and EBacc). Pupils are at the end of Key Stage 4 (KS4) aged 15-16 and attending state-funded schools in England.
Most recent data from 2020/21 suggests that the Average Attainment 8 score of children on FSM in Bury is in the 2nd worst quintile in England at 37.9, with the England average at 39.1 (Child and Maternal Health, 2022).
No trend data are available for Bury and England.
No inequalities data are present for Bury and England. However, this indicator should be compared to the general Average Attainment 8 Score. As pupils eligible for FSM fall under the definition of disadvantage, it can be useful to see the difference in average scores and whether local and national policy interventions are having an impact. This indicator is ily available for 2020/21 for Bury and presented below (Figure 4).
Figure 4: Inequalities in Average 8 Attainment scores comparing Average 8 Attainment score with Average 8 Attainment score among children eligible for FSM in Bury for the period 2020/21
Average Attainment 8 score - Children in care
This indicator presents Key Stage 4 average Attainment 8 score of children looked after continuously for at least twelve months at the end of March (excluding children in respite care). Only children who have been matched to Key Stage 4 data are included. This is the amended version of Key Stage 4 data. Includes entries and achievements for these pupils in previous academic years.
Most recent data from 2022/23 shows the Average Attainment 8 score of children in care in Bury at 19.0, with the England average at 19.4 (Child and Maternal Health, 2024).
Please note that Trend chart is not displayed as the way GCSE grades were awarded changed during the Covid-19 pandemic. 2020 and 2021 data should not be directly compared to attainment data from previous years for the purposes of measuring changes in pupil performance.
Bury has the 3rd highest Average Attainment 8 score in its group of 6 statistical children service neighbours with the highest score in Stockton-on-Tees at 21.2 and lowest in Stockport at 14.9 (Child and Maternal Health, 2024).
No data on inequalities are available for Bury. For England, inequality data are available for deprivation, ethnic groups and Special Educational Needs (SEN) status.
Data for deprivation in England shows those in the most deprived and 5th more deprived deciles had the highest score of 20.8. The lowest score of 17.6 was in the 5th less deprived decile.
The mixed/multiple ethnic group in England had the highest score of 24.6, followed by white ethnic group at 23.4. The lowest score was in the other ethnic group at 13.2.
For SEN status, those with SEN support have a score of 22.4 in England and those with a statement or EHCP have a score of 7.3. Those with no identified SEN had a score of 31.2.
Educational Inclusion and Engagement:
Promoting educational inclusion and engagement is crucial for ensuring every child and young person has equal opportunities to thrive academically and socially. It involves creating an inclusive educational environment that supports the needs of all pupils, including those facing challenges or barriers to learning. By addressing factors like disengagement, absence and exclusion, we can strive for educational equity and positive outcomes for every pupil. This set of indicators provides valuable insights into different aspects of educational inclusion and engagement, such as the rate of 16 to 17 year olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) or whose activity is unknown, the rates of persistent absentees and fixed-term exclusions in both primary and secondary schools, pupil absence rates and the percentage of pupils with special educational needs (SEN). These indicators help identify areas where support and interventions may be needed, guiding efforts to ensure all pupils have access to quality education and the opportunity to reach their full potential.
Pupil absence
Parents of children of compulsory school age (aged 5 to 15 at the start of the school year) have a legal responsibility to ensure that their children receive a suitable education through regular attendance at school or other approved educational arrangements. The educational attainment of children is influenced by multiple factors, including the quality of education they receive and their family's socio-economic circumstances. Educational qualifications play a significant role in determining an individual's position in the labour market, which, in turn, impacts their income, housing situation and access to material resources. These factors are interconnected with health outcomes and disparities.
Promoting improved attendance in schools is a crucial aspect of the government's commitment to enhancing social mobility and ensuring that every child can fulfil their potential. Improving school attendance requires a collaborative effort among various services that engage with young people to establish local priorities and strategies. The indicator related to school attendance can serve as a valuable tool in achieving this objective and fostering positive educational outcomes for children and young individuals.
Percentage of pupil absence
This indicator is measured as a percentage of half days missed by pupils due to overall absence (including authorised and unauthorised absence).
Most recent data on pupil absence in Bury are available for year 2022/23, where pupil absence is at 7.1%, statistically similar to England average of 7.4%.
The percentage of pupil absence has shown some variations over the years. Prior to 2021/22, pupil absence ranged from the highest at 5.2% in 2010/11 to the lowest of 3.9% in 2013/14 however it spiked to 7.1% in 2021/22 and remained at that for 2022/23. The percentage of pupil absence in England followed a similar pattern. It was slightly higher than Bury in 2010/11 at 5.8% but decreased to a low of 4.5% in 2013/14. The percentage remained relatively stable in other years. Similarly to Bury, England spiked in 2021/22 to 7.6%, dropping slightly to 7.4% in 2022/23.
Pupil absence in Bury remained lower than England average (statistically significant) from 2010/11 to 2015/16 and similar to England average from 2016/17 to 2020/21. In 2021/22 Bury was statistically lower than England and statistically similar to England in 2022/23.
Trend data based on the 5 most recent data points show trend to be increasing and getting worse (Figure 5).
Figure 5: Percentage (%) of pupil absence for Bury and England from the period 2010/11 to 2022/23 (Child and Maternal Health, 2024)
Bury has the 4th highest proportion of pupil absence in its group of 6 statistical children service neighbours with the highest percentage in Sefton at 7.9% and lowest in Stockport at 6.9% (Child and Maternal Health, 2024).
There are no data on inequalities in Bury.
Data for England are available by ethnic groups, deprivation and sex.
Analysis of data for England by ethnic groups reveals Chinese (3.4%) and Black (5.4%) ethnic groups have the lowest proportion (statistically significant when compared to England average) of pupil absence and the highest proportion (statistically significant compared to England average) are in Unknown (9%) and Mixed (7.8%) ethnic groups.
Inequalities are also observed by levels of deprivation with the increasing pupil absence with increasing levels of deprivation. The highest pupil absence is in the most deprived decile (7.9%) and lowest in the least deprived decile (6.6%).
Data by sex suggests that pupil absence is slightly higher in females (7.4%) compared with males (7.3%).
Persistent absentees - Primary school
This indicator is defined as the percentage of primary school enrolments classed as persistent absentees (defined as missing 10% or more of possible sessions).
Persistent absentees in primary school in Bury based on the most recent data from 2022/23 was at 14.5%, lower (statistically significant) than England average of 16.2%.
The percentage of persistent absentees in primary schools in Bury fluctuated over the years, with the highest percentage of 9.0% in 2016/17 and the lowest percentage of 7.0% in 2014/15. The percentage of persistent absentees was 7.0% in 2014/15 and increased slightly to 7.1% in 2015/16. However, there was a notable increase to 9.0% in 2016/17, indicating a significant rise in persistent absenteeism. The percentage then decreased to 8.8% in 2017/18, followed by a further decrease to 7.7% in 2018/19. In 2020/21, the percentage increased slightly to 8.1%.
Similarly, the percentage of persistent absentees in primary schools in England fluctuated over the years, with the highest percentage of 8.8% in 2020/21 and the lowest percentage of 8.2% in 2015/16. In England, the percentage of persistent absentees was 8.4% in 2014/15 and decreased to 8.2% in 2015/16. It remained relatively stable between 8.3% and 8.8% in the subsequent years. The percentage increased to 8.8% in 2020/21.
Bury generally had a lower percentage of persistent absentees compared to the national average for England and the range of values in Bury was slightly wider. Bury’s values were lower than England average from 2014/15 to 2015/16 and 2018/19 to 2020/21. Throughout this period, Bury value was higher than England average for the period 2016/17 and 2017/18. Both Bury and England experienced fluctuations in the percentage of persistent absentees over the years, but Bury's range of values was higher, suggesting a larger difference between the lowest and highest percentages (Figure 6). There was no data for 2019/20.
Figure 6: Persistent absentees - Primary school (%) for Bury and England from the period 2014/15 to 2022/23 (Child and Maternal Health, 2024)
Bury has the 4th highest proportion of persistent absentees in primary school in its group of 6 statistical children service neighbours with the highest percentage in Sefton at 16.4% and lowest in Lancashire at 14.4%. The recent trend for all statistical children service neighbours is increasing and getting worse (Child and Maternal Health, 2024).
There are no data on inequalities in Bury.
Data for England are available by ethnic groups, deprivation, special educational needs (SEN) status, first language status, eligibility for free school meals and sex.
Analysis of data for England by ethnic groups reveals Asian (5.9%), Mixed (12%) and Chinese (15.3%) ethnic groups have the lowest proportion (statistically significant when compared to England average) of persistent pupil absentees in primary school and the highest proportion (statistically significant compared to England average) are in White (21.6%) and Unknown (21.4%) ethnic groups.
Inequalities are also observed by levels of deprivation with the increasing persistent pupil absentees in primary school with increasing levels of deprivation. The highest pupil absentees are in the most deprived decile (20%) and lowest in the 2nd least deprived decile (13.6%).
Children with SEN support (24.8%) and EHCP or statement (31%) have a higher proportion of pupil absentees (statistically significant compared to England average). Children with no identified SEN have a lower proportion of pupil absentees (statistically significant) at 13.8%.
Inequalities are also observed by first language status in proportion of persistent absentees in primary school with those whose first language is not English have a statistically higher proportion (19.2%) of absenteeism in primary school. In contrast, pupils whose first language is English have a lower proportion of absenteeism at 15.3% (statistically significant).
Data by eligibility for free school meals in 2021/22 suggests that 30.7% of children eligible for free school meals (statistically worse than England average) have persistent absenteeism in primary school compared with 13.1% (statistically better than England average) of children who are not eligible for free school meals. Data for 2022/23 is not available.
Data by sex suggests that persistent absenteeism in primary school is slightly higher in males (16.7%) compared with females (15.7%).
Persistent absentees – Secondary school
This indicator is defined as percentage of secondary school enrolments classed as persistent absentees (defined as missing 10% or more of possible sessions).
Persistent absentees in secondary schools in Bury based on the most recent data from 2022/23 was at 26.8%, similar statistically to the England average of 26.5%.
The percentage of persistent absentees in secondary schools in Bury showed some fluctuations over the years. The lowest percentage was 11.9% in 2015/16 and the highest percentage was 16.0% in 2016/17. The percentage then decreased to 15.3% in 2017/18 and remained relatively stable at that level in the subsequent years, with 15.0% in 2018/19 and 15.3% in 2020/21. However, for 2021/22 the figure jumped to 27.6%, almost double the previous period, decreasing slightly to 26.8% in 2022/23.
Similarly, the percentage of persistent absentees in secondary schools in England also showed minor fluctuations. The lowest percentage was 13.1% in 2015/16 and the highest percentage was 13.9% in 2017/18. The percentage then decreased slightly to 13.7% in 2018/19, before increasing to 14.8% in 2020/21. Similarly to Bury, the England percentage almost doubled in 2021.22 to 27.7% in 2021/22, also dropping slightly to 26.5% in 2022/23, the latest period.
Bury generally had a slightly higher percentage of persistent absentees compared to the national average for England. Bury's values were lower than the England average from 2014/15 to 2015/16 and remained higher than England average from 2016/17 to 2018/19. The rates were statistically similar for 2020/21 to 2022/23. The trend is increasing and getting worse (Figure 7). There is no data for 2019/20.
Figure 7: Persistent absentees- Secondary school (%) for Bury and England from the period 2014/15 to 2022/23 (Child and Maternal Health, 2024)
Bury ranked 5th highest in terms of the proportion of persistent absentees in secondary schools among its group of 6 statistical children service neighbours. The highest percentage was observed in Sefton at 30.5%, while the lowest was in Stockport at 24.6%.
Inequalities in persistent absenteeism were observed across different factors. Analysis of data for England by ethnic groups revealed that the Asian (6.2%) and Mixed (16.7%) ethnic groups had the lowest proportion of persistent absenteeism in secondary schools (statistically significant when compared to the England average), while the Unknown (32.2%) and Black (28.7%) ethnic groups had the highest proportion (statistically significant compared to the England average).
Inequalities were also observed by levels of deprivation, with higher levels of deprivation associated with increasing levels of persistent absenteeism. The most deprived decile had the highest proportion of persistent absentees at 30%, while the least deprived decile had the lowest at 23.8%.
Children with SEN support (39%) and EHCP or statement (39.1%) had a higher proportion of persistent absentees (statistically significant compared to the England average). In contrast, children with no identified SEN had a lower proportion of persistent absentees (statistically significant) at 23.8%.
Inequalities were also observed by first language status, with pupils whose first language is not English having a statistically lower proportion (23.3%) of absenteeism in secondary schools. In contrast, pupils whose first language is English had a higher proportion of absenteeism at 27.2% (statistically significant).
Data by eligibility for free school meals for 2021/22 (no data available for 2022/23) suggested that 45.3% of children eligible for free school meals (statistically worse than the England average) had persistent absenteeism in secondary schools compared to 22.3% of children who were not eligible for free school meals (statistically better than the England average).
Data by sex indicated that persistent absenteeism in secondary schools was slightly higher in females (27.8%) compared with females (25.3%).
Special Educational Needs
The Children and Families Act 2014 provides the statutory basis for the system for identifying children and young people (age 0-25) in England with special educational needs (SEN), assessing their needs and making provision for them. The statutory Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND): Code of practice, first published in 2014, sets out detailed information on the support available for children and young people aged 0 to 25 under the 2014 Act. Broadly, there are two levels of support:
- SEN Support, provided to a child or young person in their pre-school, school, or college.
- Education, Health and Care Plans which provide a formal basis for support for children and young people who need more support than is available through SEN Support.
There are 4 broad areas of Special Educational Needs, these are:
- Cognition and Learning
This includes children with Specific Learning Difficulties, Moderate Learning Difficulties, Severe Learning Difficulties and Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties.
- Communication and Interaction
This area of needs includes children with Autism Spectrum Condition and those with Speech, Language and Communication Needs.
- Social, Emotional and Mental Health
This includes any pupils who have an emotional, social or mental health need that is impacting on their ability to learn.
- Sensory and/or Physical Difficulties
This area includes children with hearing impairment, visual impairment, multi-sensory impairment and physical difficulties.
Over 1.6 million pupils in England have special educational needs (SEN) in 2024, an increase of 101,000 from 2023. This includes the number of pupils with an education, health and care (EHC) plan and the number of pupils with SEN support, both of which continue a trend of increases since 2016. The percentage of pupils with an EHC plan has increased to 4.8%, from 4.3% in 2023. The percentage of pupils with SEN (SEN support) but no EHC plan has increased to 13.6%, from 13.0% in 2023. The most common type of need for those with an EHC plan is autistic spectrum disorder and for those with SEN support is speech, language and communication needs.
Percentage (%) of school pupils with special educational needs
This indicator is defined as the number of school children who are identified as having special educational needs expressed as a percentage of all school pupils. According to the latest school census data from 2024, 18.1% of the school population in Bury were in receipt of SEN support. This is just slightly lower than the national figure (18.4%), although this headline figure disguises a disparity between Primary and Secondary school age children. More children are identified as needing SEN support in Bury Primary schools than in similar local authorities (3.4% more), while SEN support in Secondary schools is at levels 15% less than in similar authorities.4.4% of Bury’s school population had an EHCP, compared to 4% nationally.
It is important to note that not all the children resident in Bury with an EHCP will be attending Bury schools.
The number of EHCPs for Bury children, when scaled per head of population is substantially Did higher than national, regional or similar authority averages – typically between 20% and 25% in each of the last 5 years of nationally published data, with a slight narrowing of the gap over the five-year period.
Bury’s age distribution for EHCPs is interesting, with a higher rate than comparators for all age bands, but particularly marked in the under 5s (double the national rate). Primary school age children are 10% higher than the rate for England, while Secondary school age children are 10% and post 16 are almost 40% higher.
Analysis of the characteristics of children with SEND rests on the school census collected by the DfE and the children and schools covered by the census. Unfortunately, the SEN 2 return has not included ethnicity or sex or any other characteristic beyond age. Since SEN Support is mainly used by mainstream Primary and Secondary schools to identify children in need of further support, the coverage for these children is good. However, coverage in the school census for children and young people with EHCPs is not as comprehensive. For example, the school census in 2022 included 1,313 children in Bury schools with an EHCP, 63% of all the children for whom Bury holds an EHCP (2,087), according to the SEN 2 data return. Similarly, nationally, the school census covers 70% of all the children and young people with an EHCP. This is because the school census does not include children with EHCPs who are not in schools. It is also worth noting that the school census covers children in Bury schools, not Bury children. So, for EHCPs, the analysis needs to be regarded as indicative not definitive.
Analysis of the ethnicity of children in Bury’s schools overall, compared with children with identified SEND reveals a pattern of slight over-representation of White British pupils in the EHCP cohort; and slight under representation of most other groups, especially children of Pakistani heritage. This pattern increases for children supported at SEN support. This is the area of SEND with greater discretion at school level. It is particularly marked at Secondary school, although some caution needs to be exercised in arriving at general conclusions, as it could reflect individual school practice.
Percentage (%) of school pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs
According to the National Clinical Practice Guidelines issued by the British Psychological Society, children who have learning difficulties or physical disabilities are more likely to develop mental health issues when compared to the general population.
This indicator is defined as the number of school children with Special Education Needs (SEN) who are identified as having social, emotional and mental health as the primary type of need, expressed as a percentage of all school pupils.
Percentage (%) of school pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs in Bury based on the most recent data from 2022/23 was at 3.5%, similar (statistically) to the England average of 3.3%.
The percentage of school pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs in Bury ranged from the lowest at 2.1% in 2015/16 and 2016/17 to the highest at 3.6% in 2021/22. In Bury, the percentage of school pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs remained relatively stable at 2.1% in 2015/16 and 2016/17. It then increased to 2.4% in 2017/18 and continued to rise in subsequent years, reaching 3.6% in 2021/22. It decreased very slightly to 3.5 in the latest period, 2022/23. The percentage of school pupils in England with social, emotional and mental health needs showed minor fluctuations. The percentages remained at 2.3% in 2015/16 and 2016/17, increased to 2.4% in 2017/18 and continued to rise gradually in the following years, reaching 3.3% in 2022/23.
Bury had a lower percentage of school pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs (statistically better) compared to England average from 2015/16 to 2016/17. From the period 2018/19 to 2021/22, the percentage in Bury remained higher (statistically worse) compared to England average. In 2022/23 it is statistically similar. (Figure 8)
Data based on the five most recent data point suggests that the trend in Bury is increasing and getting worse.
Figure 8: Percentage of school pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs for Bury and England from the period 2015/16 to 2022/23 (Child and Maternal Health, 2024)
Bury ranked 2nd highest in terms of the proportion of school pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs among its group of 6 statistical children service neighbours. Stockport was the highest at 3.6% and the lowest proportion was in Calderdale at 2.4%.
Inequalities in proportion of school pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs were observed across different factors. Data for Bury are available by age, categorised by primary and secondary school ages and sex. Analysis of data for Bury by age revealed that higher proportion of secondary school age pupils (4.1%) had social, emotional and mental health needs compared with primary school children at 3.0%. Inequalities by sex for Bury show Males, at 4.5%, have a higher proportion of school pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs than Females (2.4%). Males are statistically worse and females are statistically better than the Bury benchmark.
When examining the data for England by age, it was observed that secondary school age pupils (3.5%) and primary school children (2.8%) had fairly similar proportions of social, emotional and mental health needs. Inequalities by sex for England show Males at 4.4% and Females at 2.1%, very similar to Bury.
Inequalities were also evident when considering levels of deprivation. No data are available for the period 2022/23 but for 2021/22 the highest proportion of school pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs was in the 5th less deprived decile at 3.2%. This is followed by the 4th more deprived decile at 3.2% and both the most and 2nd most deprived deciles at 3.1%. The 5th more deprived decile had the lowest percentage of school pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs at 2.8%, followed by the 4th and 3rd less and 2nd least deprived deciles all at 2.9%.
Links
The links below are to help with further action to reduce the impact of the wider determinants on health outcomes. The resources in the list include ideas, interventions and examples of good practice from a wide variety of sources.
Adult learning services, PHE, IHE
Building children and young people’s resilience in schools, PHE, IHE
Good quality parenting programmes and the home to school transition, PHE, IHE
Reducing the number of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET), PHE, IHE
Social and emotional wellbeing in early years, primary education and secondary education, NICE