The Department for Education (DfE) has launched a consultation that could see mainstream schools receive significantly more up-front funding to support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Schools currently spend the first £6,000 on SEND provision for each pupil before applying for top-up funding. This threshold, which has remained in place since 2013, would now be worth over £8,000 in real terms had it kept pace with inflation.
The DfE says this outdated cap has left schools increasingly reliant on education, health and care plans (EHCPs) to fund support, fuelling a growing backlog of assessments and appeals.
Under the proposed changes, councils would be able to apply to the DfE to set their own, higher threshold, giving schools the flexibility to fund early interventions – such as speech and language classes – before needs escalate into more intensive support.
