New SIGOMA chair: ‘We need certainty’ on council funding
Mayor Chris Cooke, new chair of the Special Interest Group of Municipal Authorities (SIGOMA), talks to LocalGov about collaborative governance and funding.
Government rejects SEND power expansion for councils
23/06/2026 The Government has rejected calls by MPs to boost councils' powers over health partners to provide Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). |
SEND reforms at risk as pupils cluster in minority of schools
20/05/2026 Government ambitions to make mainstream schools more inclusive risk falling short unless the uneven distribution of pupils with SEND is tackled, study finds. |
Eight-year-old launches legal challenge against SEND consultation
12/05/2026 An eight-year-old severely autistic girl is seeking a judicial review of the Government's consultation on its proposed special educational needs reforms. |
Parents of SEND children without EHCPs report worst school experiences
26/03/2026 Parents of children with SEND who do not have an EHCP consistently report the poorest experiences of the school system, according to a major new survey. |
Contract blunder left 400 children without therapy, ombudsman finds
04/03/2026 Bucks Council left up to 400 children without therapy they were legally entitled to after failing to properly manage a change in its contracted services. |
LGA repeats SEND insolvency warning
06/02/2026 The LGA has reiterated its warning that councils face potential insolvency due to soaring special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) costs. |
Threat to SEND rights could leave thousands of children without support
13/01/2026 The legal rights of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are under threat, according to an open letter. |
SEND debt set to hit £18bn
14/11/2025 England’s councils have warned that the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system is ‘on course for total collapse’ without urgent reform. |
NAO: SEND reforms must tackle £2.3bn school transport squeeze
30/10/2025 The NAO has warned that reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system must address growing pressures on home-to-school transport. |
Government delays SEND overhaul
22/10/2025 The long-awaited schools white paper, intended to overhaul special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision in England, will now be delayed. |
SEND Crisis: EHCP demand soars 250%, warns IPPR
22/10/2025 The UK’s system for supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is ‘no longer fit for purpose’, according to a new IPPR report. |
