Funding for children with the most severe special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) has been cut by 17 per cent per pupil over the past four years, new research reveals today.
The North has been worst affected, with cuts of 22 per cent per pupil, according to a report published by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).
Quick read: Minister says 'ambulance chasers' have no place in EHCP appeals
Teacher tips: Autism tips for teachers - by an autistic teacher
Exclusive: Private special schools 'taking advantage' of councils
The amount of funding available for councils to spend on pupils with education, health and care plans (EHCPs), known as the high-needs block, is now “nowhere near enough”, said the report’s author Jack Hunter, research fellow at IPPR North.
The report shows that while funding through the high-needs block has increased since 11 per cent since 2015 – demand has increased by 35 per cent.
This gap means that funding in the high-needs block has dropped 17 per cent from £23,154 per plan in 2014-15 to £19,120 per plan in 2018-19, even after taking into account the additional £125 million announced by the government in December 2018.
Pupils with EHCPs make up about one in five of all pupils with SEND.
But the report states that children with less complex special educational needs are also losing out.
“Since 2014, the quality of SEND support, to which approximately one in seven pupils is entitled, has declined in many areas,” the report states. “Those who have identified special educational needs but who do not qualify for an EHC plan are significantly less likely to receive the support they need.”
Mr Hunter said: “Cuts to overall education budgets have left many without the support they need, particularly in the North, and have driven up demand for intensive SEND provision. Despite emergency government funding announced in December, the current funding settlement is nowhere near enough.
“This is a moral failure but it is also a failure to recognise the economic benefits of upfront investment in young people’s futures. For example, supporting one person with a learning disability into employment could increase their income by between 55 per cent and 95 per cent, and reduce lifetime costs to the taxpayer by at least £170,000.”
The report comes a day after Nick Gibb, the school standards minister, said that high-needs funding – which is used to pay for support for pupils with EHCPs – was a priority for any rise in education funding.
Children and Families Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: “Our ambition for children with special educational needs and disabilities is exactly the same for every other child – to make the most of education, do well in school and to live happy and fulfilled lives.
“We have increased high needs funding for children and young people with the most complex SEND from £5 billion in 2013 to more than £6 billion this year. However, we recognise that local authorities have been facing cost pressures on high needs budgets, which is why, in December, we allocated an additional £250 million in high needs funding on top of increases we had already promised. £67.7 million of this funding has been allocated to local authorities in the North.
“We have also approved bids for 37 new special schools spread across the country which will give parents of SEND children more choice and will support every child to have a quality education.”
