A new education system for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) has been praised as a step forward to meet growing demand, but ran up against disinterest from secondary schools.

No secondary schools have signed up to run new units for children with SEND, councillors heard. In a “disappointing” response to the changed service which starts in September, there are “significant gaps” and even enhanced mainstream schools which currently cater for children needing more support have opted not to convert to the new system.