Councils are facing significant increases in costs for special educational needs and disabilities provision, with projections suggesting billions of pounds in additional expenses by 2029 if immediate reforms are not implemented, according to a report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). The IFS emphasized a sharp surge in high needs spending, which has escalated by 66% in schools since 2016.
Data highlighted by the IFS revealed that 5.2% of pupils under 16 in England have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), offering them the highest level of support as per the legal rights for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Additionally, the percentage of children receiving child disability living allowance (CDLA) has risen to 7.2% from 3.4% a decade ago.
The IFS cautioned that current spending on EHCPs and CDLA, currently at £16 billion, is projected to soar to £21 billion by 2029, more than double the real-terms expenditure in 2016. Moreover, high needs spending in schools is expected to increase by an additional £3 billion by 2029.
To address these challenges, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson is developing plans to revamp the struggling SEND system through a white paper to be presented this autumn. Concerns have been raised by parents regarding potential modifications to EHCPs, which guarantee tailored support to children in need.
The rise in children with EHCPs, from 3% in 2018 to 5%, is straining financially constrained councils. Darcey Snape, a research economist at IFS, highlighted the upcoming government White Paper expected to propose reforms to EHCPs and suggested a review of the child disability living allowance, which has remained largely unchanged for over 30 years.
Stakeholders in the education sector have expressed the urgent need for reforms to the SEND system, emphasizing the necessity for increased government investment in early identification of children’s needs and support at a younger age. Critics have pointed out that despite the increased spending, the current system is struggling to meet the needs of children and families, with schools lacking adequate funding and resources, assessments facing delays, and families feeling frustrated by the system’s shortcomings.
Cllr Amanda Hopgood, chair of the Local Government Association’s Children, Young People and Families Committee, echoed the call for system reform to better address the support needs of children and families. Collaboration between the government and councils, with a focus on listening to and acting upon the voices of children and families, is seen as crucial to overcoming the challenges in the SEND system.