Longitudinal Study of Pupils with SEND

Longitudinal Study of Pupils with SEND - Market engagement information

The Department for Education is interested in launching a new cohort study that aims to provide high quality, longitudinal evidence on the experiences and outcomes of young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in England. This would build on lessons from the previously commissioned 'SEND Futures Discovery Phase' study - which tested the feasibility of conducting a longitudinal study of pupils with SEND and their parents. Reports for this study can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-futures-longitudinal-study-discovery-phase The study would follow up to 3 cohorts of pupils with SEND, with particular focus on how experiences and outcomes differ by: SEN type, education setting type and SEN provision type. Data from large samples of young people and parents across a range of SEN types and age groups would help generate valuable information for policymaking.

The following cohorts and timelines are anticipated:

A mixed mode approach is anticipated, to ensure accessibility and inclusion of a range of participants. Face-to-face fieldwork will be particularly important to ensure engagement and face-to-face fieldwork for all waves should be expected for some participants. For cohort 1, data would be collected from the parents of sampled pupils at every wave. Pupil data collection will start at an appropriate child age. Teacher reports may be collected at one or more waves. For cohort 2, data would be collected from sampled pupils and parents at every wave. Teacher reports may be collected at one or more waves.

A suitable team for this project would have a wealth of expertise and experience spanning longitudinal studies and complex sampling. Experience and expertise of inclusive research with children and young people with a range of special educational needs and disabilities would be of equal importance. Consortium bids would be encouraged to enable the formation of well-integrated teams with both longitudinal and SEND expertise that can deliver high quality fieldwork to agreed timelines.

The project would likely initially run from Summer 2026 - Spring 2030.

A maximum budget of approximately £14.5M is anticipated .

Additional information: We will be hosting 2 market engagement events where we will share an overview of the project followed by a discussion. Both sessions will cover the same content.

Sessions will be hosted online, via Microsoft Teams on:

If you would like to attend, please email SEND.longitudinal@education.gov.uk letting us know your name, organisation and which date you wish to attend.

Please note: This session is for market engagement only and is intended as an early-stage discussion to gauge interest and gather feedback. It does not represent a guaranteed or confirmed procurement opportunity.