SEND Funding 2025-06-12

Acknowledges the need for reforming the SEND system and welcomes £750 million ringfenced in the spring statement for this purpose.

Compliments Graham Stuart on his service to the House, providing support but not offering specific contributions to the debate topic.

Agrees that a more holistic approach is needed to future-proof the system and questions whether focusing on distribution alone is sufficient, suggesting a need for therapeutic approaches seen in Sweden.

To effectively fund SEND services, we must listen to grassroots voices. Schools face challenges in support capacity and transition into work for young adults. The funding distribution needs significant attention.

Children should be given the opportunity to thrive academically or practically, depending on their ability, without being confined to a standard educational box. Each child's unique needs must be acknowledged and catered for.

Education, health and care plans are not a solution; parents should not have to navigate complex legal processes to get their children the support they need. The system must be reformed to ensure that money follows the child.

Families in Huddersfield and across the country face significant challenges navigating the SEND system, including difficulties gaining EHCPs and accessing transport or appropriate educational settings. Local support services are stretched, schools are under pressure, and there is a need for better funding to meet growing demands.

In Huntingdon, around 18% of school pupils have identified special educational needs, with many struggling due to underfunding. Schools face impossible choices and often cannot cover the full cost of supporting children with EHCPs; parents bear significant burdens for assessments and support. Urgent action is needed to address funding inadequacies and improve access to necessary resources.

In Hertfordshire, there are widespread and systematic failings in the SEND system; per-head high-needs funding is low. Constituents like Grace face long waits for EHCPs and struggle to secure appropriate education due to lack of specialist placements. A constituent's daughter has waited 62 weeks for a draft EHCP, highlighting the urgent need for better support.

Hampshire faces significant funding deficits and low per-pupil spending; schools struggle to provide adequate support despite tight budgets. Early intervention leads to better outcomes but is hindered by current systems. The funding formula works against children needing extra help without EHCPs, denying them necessary resources.

Over the past decade, there has been a 140% increase in demand for SEND support; however, funding has not kept pace. In Wolverhampton West, nearly 9,000 pupils receive special educational needs support or have EHCPs, with a clear correlation to deprivation levels. Early years intervention and holistic support are crucial to address these issues effectively.

The National Audit Office has warned that without significant change, the current system is financially unsustainable. Since 2019, there have been no consistent improvements in outcomes for children with SEND. We must take bold steps to reform our SEND system to ensure every child receives proper support.

The funding is insufficient and does not meet the demand in South West Hertfordshire, which supports predominantly Hertfordshire children but also those from Buckinghamshire and London. The county council should ensure that Breakspeare school can move to a different site as soon as possible due to significant demand for SEND provision.

Decisions on SEND funding affect resources for additional support needs education in Scotland. The number of pupils needing such support has increased by 32% since 019, but the number of specialist teachers has only risen by 2%. We urgently need a new direction to ensure all children have the support they need.

In Northern Ireland, SEN costs £65 million annually but is about 14% less than what is needed. The number of children with special educational needs has risen since 2017 from some 18,000 to some 27,000. Units attached to mainstream schools provide a best-of-both-worlds approach by focusing on specific needs and providing additional specialist facilities.

Families across Staffordshire and the country have been failed by the system meant to support them. The crisis in SEND provision is such that this is one of the most frequently debated topics since the general election. Parents are often forced to travel long distances just to get their child the support they are entitled to.

The constituency of Ribble Valley under Lancashire county council received a damning Ofsted report for its SEND provision. A case study of Monty, whose education was delayed and where £146,000 was wasted due to poor planning by the council, highlights the need for immediate action to improve communication between councils and parents.

The current SEND system is broken and underfunded. Children are travelling long distances, exacerbating existing mental health issues; funding has not kept up with growing needs leading to a deficit of £33 billion in local authorities' high needs budgets. The Government's commitment to invest £740 million to deliver 10,000 new SEND places is welcome but must be fair and address the disparity caused by the outdated funding formula.

The Government can provide support through guidance that properly quantifies need, addressing some of the issues described by the hon. Gentleman.

Primary and secondary schools in Witney lack sufficient spaces and provisions for SEND needs; this results in long daily commutes for children and substantial financial deficits within local authorities, such as the £100 million deficit in Oxfordshire county council. The statutory override needs to be extended beyond its current nine-month period.

The national curriculum is rigid, failing many pupils with SEND; schools are losing flexibility due to narrow judging criteria which hinders pupil success. Funding disparities exist between local authorities leading to unequal support provision for children based on postcode.

West Sussex county council is experiencing a significant SEND deficit with only 12% of EHCPs issued within the legal timeframe; parents face long delays and bottlenecks, leading to appeals that councils often lose. This discriminates against less capable parents fighting for their children's rights.

Mr. Brickell discussed two local examples from Bolton West illustrating the difficulties faced by parents due to insufficient SEN provision, including a mother whose children were excluded from school activities and another concerned about potential restrictions on education, health and care plans for children in mainstream settings.

Mr. Mohamed highlighted the funding challenges faced by Kirklees, which ranks low in terms of high-needs funding per child. He noted that one in eight education, health and care plans were processed within the 20-week legal timescale compared to a national average of 50%, calling for reforms without disrupting current support arrangements or removing essential safeguards.

Ms. Riddell-Carpenter discussed the impact on Suffolk Coastal, noting that nearly 60% of parents had to withhold their children from school due to inappropriate education settings and one in two parents battling with mental health issues as a result. She proposed innovative recommendations focusing on how special educational needs are delivered beyond just funding.

Mr. Hatton outlined the urgent need for more special school places in South Dorset due to rising SEND pupil numbers, far exceeding available special school placements. He cited local schools struggling with capacity issues and urged the Government to open a new SEND school on Portland as soon as possible.

Ms. Young highlighted funding shortages in her constituency, leading to more costly EHCP placements. She criticised safety-valve agreements for failing local authorities and proposed a fairer funding formula that recognises disparities between communities within the same authority.

Mr. Maguire pointed out Cornwall's poor position in SEND per-pupil funding, emphasising the need for urgent address of this unfairness across the nation.

Joined debate by highlighting issues faced by children with complex needs in schools, citing specific examples from her constituency. Emphasised the need for improved funding to local authorities and proper training for teachers.

Acknowledged the challenges faced by parents and carers in securing appropriate support for children with SEND, highlighting the increase in numbers of students requiring special needs. Emphasised the importance of flexible funding to follow changing needs.

Acknowledges the challenges faced by the SEND system but emphasises government commitment to improving it. Discusses distribution issues, training resources for educators, and additional funding for high needs blocks.

Discussed difficulties parents face in navigating the SEND system.

Addressed challenges involving EHCPs and requested reassurance on their future from the Minister.

Stuart highlighted challenges faced by rural areas in accessing SEND funding due to sparsely distributed populations, making travel and access difficult for parents of children with special needs. He urged the Minister to address this issue within the new funding formula.

Daby responded by thanking Stuart for his question and acknowledged that the Government intended to set out SEND reforms in the schools White Paper scheduled for autumn. She emphasised the importance of supporting all children and young people through increased investment.