A report out this morning is warning that soenfing on special educational needs (SEND) is becoming unsustainable due to the rise in high needs and drastic reform is needed
The report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies said that funding for pupils with special educational needs in England increased by 59% or £4 billion between 2015 and 2024. A further £1 billion announced in the recent Budget will take total funding to £12 billion in 2025.
About half of the increase in total school funding since 2015 has gone towards special educational needs.
Even these big increases have not been sufficient to cover rising levels of need. As a result, local authorities have built up deficits that are likely to total £3.3 billion this year. Continued rises in needs mean that the government is forecasting a further £2–3 billion increase in annual spending by 2027. These forecasts are credible. Without reform, local authority deficits could easily reach absurd levels of over £8 billion in 2027.
Reforms to the system could save money and provide better provision in the long run. This includes expanding capacity in state-funded special schools and delivering a larger core offer for special educational needs in mainstream schools.
Such reforms would require fundamental changes to the education system. Any transition would also be costly in the short run.
Darcey Snape, IFS Research Economist and an author of the report, said:
‘The special educational needs system in England clearly requires urgent, radical change. Without reform, rises in need will push up annual spending up by at least £2–3 billion in the next three years. The government has a clear preference for expanding core provision for special educational needs in mainstream schools. This would represent a massive change to the school system, necessitating major reform of the funding system, increased staffing and training, and much else. Any transition could also entail significant costs in the short run and the public finances are very tight. The crucial first step for the government is to set out a clear long-term vision. The transition path to a better system may run slowly, but it is necessary to take it given the present path
