The number of children and young people across Sutton needing additional special educational needs (SEN) support is the highest it has been in 11 years.

Official data for 2018 shows there are 1,318 pupils across Sutton who require extra help – a year-on-year increase since 2014 – according to the Department for Education (DfE).

But those who have an education, health and care (EHC) plan or statement, based on where they go to school, is the most since 2007.

It comes as the number of pupils with SEN has risen for a second consecutive year in England, from 1.24 million to 1.27 million.

And 253,680 children and young people across the country have a statement of SEN, or EHC, which is an increase of 11,495 since January last year.

The most common primary types of need have also remained the same from 2017.

Moderate learning difficulty is the most prevalent for additional needs support, at 24 percent, while 28.2 percent of those with an EHC plan or statement have autism spectrum disorder.

An EHC plan is for children and young people up to 25 years old who need more support than is available to them through SEN help.

They aim to identify educational, health, and social needs and resources are then given to pupils to meet those needs.

Authorities across England create the programme before they must give you the final outlines within five months, or 20 weeks, of the date of the initial assessment.

Of the 39,878 pupils in the borough, nearly 12.9 percent have SEN, 9.6 need additional support and 3.3 have EHC plans or statements.

The 1,318 pupils in Sutton who access additional support ranks 17th among all 33 London authorities, with Croydon first (2,114) and the City of London last (nine).

Merton is a few places lower in 20th, with 1,242, while Kingston is 30th (796).

The data by the DfE, 'special educational needs in England: January 2018', was published on August 8.

You can view the data here.