EMB 2230 Mainstream schools to receive extra funding to support Send children

The government has announced more funding will be given to mainstream schools to support children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) as part of a £4bn package to make the system more inclusive.

As part of a major overhaul to be announced by the Department for Education (DfE) on Monday, there will be investment in targeted interventions such as small group language study and helping staff introduce adaptive teaching styles.

Around £1.6bn over three years will be provided to early years, schools and colleges through an “overarching general fund”.

A further £1.8bn over the same period will be spent on creating an “experts on hand” service, comprising specialists such as Send teachers and speech and language therapists across the board.

The Department for Education (DfE) said schools will be able to withdraw money from it on request, regardless of whether pupils have education, health and care plans (EHCPs) – legal documents setting out the support to which children with Send are entitled.

Unions generally welcomed the reform commitment but warned that they would review the details when the Schools White Paper is published to see if the changes were sufficient.

The DfE said a further £200 million would be invested in Send outreach teams for communities and a further £200 million for local authorities to “transform the way they work in line with our reforms while maintaining existing Send services”.

Sir Keir Starmer has claimed that “bespoke support” for families would end the “one size fits all” system.

“I have heard firsthand the struggles and exhaustion faced by so many parents who feel like they have to fight the system to get their children the support they need,” she said.

“But getting the right support should never be a struggle; it’s a necessity.”

Meanwhile, the education minister said the government was “hugely ambitious for children and young people from Send” and that they deserve a system that “lifts them up and puts no limits on what they can achieve”.

He said: “These reforms are a turning point for the younger generation and future generations and are an important milestone in this Government’s mission to ensure opportunities are for every child.”

But public service union Unison said the money “must go where it is needed” and “it is unclear exactly how this will happen under these new plans”.

Mike Short, the union’s head of education, said: “The overarching themes in the White Paper are encouraging and closing the disadvantage gap is crucial for every child to succeed and thrive.

“Any reform must ensure that there is sufficient funding to support all children and that staff are paid appropriately for the work they do.”

He added: “Ministers and schools must properly recognize and reward the vital role support staff play in serving children with Send.”

It comes amid concerns Send Children will have plans to review support entitlements as part of reforms.

Shadow education secretary Laura Trott said she had some “major concerns” about “what has been revealed” in proposals to reform special education provision in schools, amid reports that children with a legal right to special needs support will face scrutiny when they move on to secondary school.

Ms Trott told the BBC with Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday: “A lot of parents… have had to struggle for support and the idea that they will be reassessed is going to be really scary and I’m worried about that.”

Ms Trott said it was “very difficult” for many parents to get support, adding: “Once this support was put in place it was actually very effective for many young people.

“So it’s important that this isn’t taken away. The stress that this system has created for so many parents across the country, they’ve been worried for about a year now because there was a leak that their EHCPs (education, health and care plans) were going to be taken away from them.”

“Now here the education minister says these may be reviewed. So this is too much for parents. They need to put this concern to rest and we are absolutely opposed to any withdrawal of support.”

The National Association of Headteachers welcomed the “principle” of greater support for pupils in mainstream schools and said “with this significant investment, we will look closely at the details and speak to school leaders to assess whether this is enough”.

“There will always be some students whose needs are so great that they require support in a special school, and it is crucial that the government ensures that all children get the support they need at the right time, in the right environment,” said Paul Whiteman, the union’s general secretary.

Jon Sparkes, chief executive of disability learning charity Mencap, said: “The move to make mainstream schools more inclusive is welcome news.

“Families must ensure their children’s needs are identified early and that they are provided with the right help promptly, backed by fully funded services and legislated rights to get the job done.”

The Institute for Public Policy Research think tank said “no plan will be perfect” but reforms to the system should not be the next “political flashpoint” at Westminster.

“The cost of the delay is already being felt,” said deputy principal Avnee Morjaria.

“It must be time for everyone to get behind a serious program of reform.”

The White Paper, which will be published in full on Monday, will also set a target to halve the gap in disadvantage when children born under this government finish secondary education, as part of a plan to improve the education system in England.