The £600m Whitehall cut to education funding has undermined the ability of local authorities to look after children with ‘high needs.’
The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) has published a new analysis looking at the factors behind the crisis in high needs funding for schools.
The £600m cut to the local authority Education Services Grant has shifted the burden of supporting children with high needs onto schools, the NAHT found.
There has also been a rise in the number of pupils with statements or Educational Health Care Plans (EHCP). This increased over 50,000 (21%) between 2014 and 2017 – 31,000 between 2016 and 2017 alone.
There was also a shift from mainstream to specialist provision of 5% of pupils between 2010 and 2017 (56% of pupils to 51%).
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of NAHT said: 'Our analysis provides clear evidence that there is both increased pressure on the costs per pupil and increased demand for support for children and young people with the most complex special educational needs.
'The Chancellor must recognise the growing shortfall if we are to avoid our most vulnerable pupils missing out on the education that can allow them to realise their potential.'
