Councils will receive a share of £280m in funding this summer, with the funding to be divided between local authorities based on the projected number of pupils with high needs in their area.
Councils will receive the funding to create new places or carry out improvements to buildings in early years settings, schools, academies, and colleges.
The DfE said the funding would ‘improve existing provision to create modern, fit-for-purpose spaces suited to a wider range of pupil needs.’ This could be by contributing to the cost of creating a whole new special school, or by improving accessibility, such as installing ramps, handrails or ceiling hoists, it said.
The funding is for the financial year 2021-22, to support the provision of high needs places needed by September 2022.
Up to an extra £20 million will be used to support High Needs capital projects in a small number of the local authorities facing the highest Dedicated Schools Grant deficits.
Some specific examples given by the DfE of how local authorities might invest the funding include:
- expanding outstanding special provision that helps children attend school in the local area so that children gain independence within their local community
- adding a special unit or resourced provision to a good or outstanding mainstream school
- supporting or contributing to the cost of creating a whole new special school
- reconfiguring provision to make available space for additional places or facilities or re-purposing areas so that they meet the needs of pupils with SEND
- investment in accessibility to improve access to existing provision.
Minister for the school system Baroness Berridge said, ‘It is so important that all children and young people, whatever their background, are able to attend a good school that helps them thrive and gives them the building blocks they need to go on to fulfil their potential.
‘For pupils with more complex needs or disabilities, it is especially important that the right facilities and support are in place at whatever school they attend, so they can learn in a modern, adaptable environment.
‘This funding will help councils provide targeted support to level up outcomes for some of their most vulnerable pupils.’
The Government said the funding was ‘a significant single-year increase in high needs capital investment’, and follows £365 million allocated through the Special Provision Capital Fund to create places and improve facilities for pupils with SEND across 2018 to 2021.
Children and Families Minister Vicky Ford said, ‘Every child or young person with SEND should go to school feeling confident that they will get the tailored support they need at school, and every teacher should be equipped with the right facilities to teach those pupils.
‘We have already increased the high needs budget by nearly a quarter over the past two years. This additional investment will enable local authorities to invest more in creating excellent school places or enhancing existing provision so that pupils with additional needs and disabilities get the same opportunities as any other.’
Professor Adam Boddison, chief executive of NASEN, said, ‘Given the growing demand for high-quality specialist provision, this increase in high needs funding is a welcome investment. I hope that local authorities will work in partnership with schools, specialist settings and families so that this funding is targeted to secure long term benefits for learners with SEND.’
The Government said its ongoing SEND Review was looking at ways to make sure the system is consistent, high-quality and integrated across education, health and care.
Call for more funding for SEND
Meanwhile, the National Education Union, which is holding its annual conference virtually, today passed a motion calling ON the Government to work with the union to undertake a full, evidence-based review of current and future demand for high needs funding to support students with SEND, and of the real cost of supporting students with SEND and those with mental health concerns.
Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU, said, ‘Current funding for special educational needs (SEND) in schools is grossly inadequate and the Covid crisis has made the future even bleaker for the existing 1.28 million SEND students. The real-terms cuts to schools funding, aligned with the additional costs of Covid, has increased the pressure on SEND and mental health support both in schools and local authorities.
‘The Covid crisis has meant many SEND students have not had their usual access to the therapies and pastoral support that enables inclusion. Mental health services are stretched to breaking point as more young people face crises due to the effects of Covid restrictions, undiagnosed SEND and trauma. Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) needs emergency funding to ensure all young people requiring support are able to access professional support in a timely manner, alongside proper long-term investment in mental health services in both schools and local authorities.
‘Government must properly fund all schools and to conduct an urgent review of high-needs funding. This must ensure that an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan provides the actual funding needed to deliver the SEND child or young person’s entitlement.’
