Four out of five school staff say their setting does not have enough money to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), a Tes survey has revealed.
In the poll, 81 per cent of respondents said their schools did not have enough funding, with the findings even more stark - 92 per cent - among SEND coordinators (Sendcos).
The findings, published today in the Tes SEND Report 2024, also point to specific concerns about the funding and timeliness of education, health and care plans (EHCPs).
The survey asked school sector staff about how well the funding that accompanies a pupil’s EHCP met the actual cost of the provision.
Three in five respondents said the funding they received for EHCPs was less than half of what was needed.
More than one in five (22 per cent) said the funding provided covered less than a quarter of the costs, while 11 per cent said the funding provided for EHCPs met three-quarters or more of the costs.
According to the report, the most common reason given for this reduced outcome “is that the local authority believes that the identified level of support can be delivered for a lower cost than suggested”.
Of those respondents who were responsible for funding, 91 per cent said they found the process of securing funds for special educational needs provision from local authorities to be “difficult or very difficult”.
A local authority is expected to provide a final EHCP within 20 weeks of receiving a request for an assessment.
But responses to the Tes survey show that 36 per cent of school staff have experienced longer waits than this.
Almost one in four (24 per cent) said they have waited more than 25 weeks, while another 12 per cent said they had faced a wait of between 21 and 25 weeks.
A recent Tes analysis of SEND area inspection reports found that issues with EHCPs were found in all of the lowest-rated council areas in England.
The Tes SEND report is based on a survey carried out in August and September, which attracted about 900 responses from Sendcos, teachers, teaching assistants, senior leaders and middle leaders.
It highlights concerns among school staff about the capacity to meet the needs of pupils with special needs.
Of the respondents, 86 per cent said the SEND population in their school has increased compared with three years ago.
The survey also asked how challenging staff found it to provide adequate support to SEND pupils in their class or school.
The vast majority said it was either very challenging (44 per cent) or somewhat challenging (38 per cent).
When asked how this problem compared with three years ago, 57 per cent of respondents said the situation was a lot more challenging while another 27 per cent said it was a bit more challenging.
However, the survey also suggested an increased confidence in the sector. When asked about confidence levels in meeting the needs of SEND pupils compared with three years ago, 49 per cent of respondents said they were more confident while 20 per cent said they were less confident.
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