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What kind of society would willingly traumatise its children in the name of education? | John Harris As claims about practices in two flagship London academies are investigated, it’s time to stop and think about what schools are really for, says Guardian columnist John Harris

SEND: Deficits to reach ‘absurd’ £8bn without reform
Increasing specialist provision in mainstream schools will be costly and require ‘massive change’, warns Institute of Fiscal Studies
10th December 2024, 12:01am
John Roberts
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SEND: Deficits to reach ‘absurd’ £8bn without reform
High-needs deficits risk reaching “absurd levels” of more than £8 billion and pushing many councils to bankruptcy, experts have warned.

A report into the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system by the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) says reforms are needed, such as expanding capacity in state-funded special schools and catering for pupils with SEND more effectively in mainstream schools.

But such reforms would require fundamental changes to the education system and how it is funded - and would be costly in the short term - according to today’s IFS report, titled Spending on special educational needs in England: something has to change.

One of the report’s authors, IFS research economist Darcey Snape, said it was crucial that the government first sets out a clear, long-term vision for SEND reform.

Here are seven key findings from the report:

1. Rapid rise in highest needs

The report notes that the number of school pupils with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) rose by 180,000 - or 71 per cent - between 2018 and 2024. As a result, nearly 5 per cent of all school pupils now have EHCPs.

It adds that the rise has been driven by three specific types of needs: autistic spectrum disorders; social, emotional and mental health needs (including ADHD); and speech, language and communication needs.

Linked: Public spending watchdog warning on SEND system
Report: Outcomes for pupils with SEND not improving despite spend increase
Investigation: Reforms risk blaming schools for wider SEND crisis, Ofsted warned
2. Funding rises haven’t kept up with spending

The IFS says high-needs funding “has gone up massively but has still been insufficient”.

It notes that funding levels have risen by 59 per cent - or £4 billion in real terms - between 2015 and 2024. This growth accounts for about half of the total real-terms rise in school funding over the same period.

However, the think-tank adds that this has not kept pace with rises in numbers and needs, resulting in local authorities spending on high needs exceeding funding by between £200 to £800 million per year between 2018 and 2022.

3. Council deficits could rise above £8 billion

As a result, local authorities have built up large deficits in high-needs budgets that are estimated to be £3.4 billion this year.

The IFS says that “an accounting fudge” - also known as the “statutory override” - has kept these deficits off local authorities’ balance sheets and prevented many from declaring bankruptcy. This short-term fix is due to end in March 2026.

The IFS warns that continued rises in the number of pupils with EHCPs is set to result in extra spending of £2-3 billion per year and local authority deficits of more than £8 billion in three years, “pushing many to the point of bankruptcy”.

4. Large increase in independent special school placements

The IFS adds that there have been large increases in spending on fees for independent special schools. Spending by local authorities on fees for pupils in independent settings is up by more than £1 billion, or 138 per cent, since 2015 - reaching at least £1.8 billion in 2024.

The report notes that this only accounts for a small number of pupils with EHCPs - nearly 30,000 in total, or 5 per cent of pupils with EHCPs.

It adds that placements are extremely high-cost in independent special schools, at £61,500 per year on average, compared with state-funded special school costs of £24,000.

5. Schools have financial incentives to seek EHCPs

The IFS also highlights how mainstream schools can only access local authority “top-up” funding if the additional cost of SEND support is more than £6,000 - with this initial provision expected to come from core school budgets.

The IFS says accessing more funding “can only really be achieved with an EHCP”. And it warns that, as the £6,000 threshold has not been updated with inflation for more than 10 years, more pupils are part of a group “who require top-up funding and, by extension, EHCPs”.

6. Reforms will be ‘costly’ in the short term

The last government’s planned SEND reforms were predicated on improving early intervention and reducing the need for EHCPs. Labour has said that it wants more pupils with SEND educated in mainstream schools.

The IFS report says that reforming the system could involve increasing the core SEND provision available in mainstream schools and expanding the number of state-funded special school places.

It describes increasing the SEND offer in mainstream as seeming like the “most natural option” but warns that it would mean a massive change in what schools do and how they are funded.

It adds: “Schools would need to be able to offer core provision for pupils with a range of different types of SEND, and do so without affecting existing provision.”

The IFS suggests schools would need “extra staff with the required skills, teachers would need to have further good-quality training and extra physical space would be needed”.

7. EHCPs: Removing statutory duty would save cash but be politically ‘challenging’

The IFS report says another potential reform of the SEND system would be to change the function of EHCPs so that they no longer create statutory obligations.

The report adds: “Instead, schools and local authorities would need to make best endeavours to deliver such provision and ration scarce resources. This is the normal way in which public spending and resources are allocated.”

The report says this reform “would clearly be attractive from a purely financial point of view, but it could be incredibly challenging from a political perspective given parents’ lack of trust in the current system to meet their children’s needs”.

This is what happens when an IP is stolen and the thieves have no idea how to implement it. It’s the children’s futures at stake.

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*The new Secretary of Education is inviting us to an on-line event next week*

*`Letter from the Secretary of State for Education`*

```To all working in early years, children’s services, schools, further and higher education,
It’s a huge privilege to write to you today to introduce myself as your new Secretary of State for Education and to thank you for your vital work.

I want this moment to mark a reset in our relationship: under this new government, education will once again be at the heart of change and the forefront of national life. I can’t wait to start working together with you as we begin to transform our system so that young people get the skills, care and opportunities they deserve.

I know how hard you work to support our learners and families; you are key to breaking down barriers to opportunity and improving life chances for every child. You have supported our children and young people through a great deal of disruption – guiding their curiosity, building their resilience, and helping them achieve and thrive. You and your work are essential to the change this government wants to achieve across the country, and I want our renewed relationship to reflect that.

My commitment to the sector is deeply personal. I grew up in a family that knew the value of a good education. I was also fortunate enough to go to great local state schools filled with committed staff who saw the value and worth in each and every one of us. I’m so grateful for all the people in my life who nurtured within me a love of learning and the confidence to succeed – I would not be here without them.
I know that I was very lucky, but life shouldn’t come down to luck. Lives are shaped by opportunity, but too many people simply don’t have the opportunities to succeed.
I grew up on a council street in the Northeast of England. At that time in the 1980s and early ‘90s, it was a place with many challenges, where far too many children were held back by their background. But background should be no barrier to getting on.

I am determined that we will drive change together. Working with all of you, we want to build a fairer society with a government that delivers the best life chances for every child. That’s what motivates me and that’s why we will work tirelessly to deliver on our opportunity mission, tackling barriers like inadequate housing and child poverty that undermine family security and make it so hard for children to learn.

There’s a lot of work to be done to realise this mission against some major challenges. A huge part of my role is to understand the scale of the challenges you are facing, and the support needed to fix them. The scar of child poverty, severe financial pressures squeezing all your budgets, high workload, climbing vacancy rates, strain on care, mental health and SEND services, among many other issues, have made your jobs increasingly difficult. This is a tough inheritance – none of these have quick and easy solutions but I will work with and for you to find practical ways forward.

Supported by your experience and expertise, this government will expand our early years education system, drive high and rising standards and reform curriculum and assessment. Work to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers for our schools and colleges starts now, and we will bring forward a comprehensive strategy for post‐16 education, work with local government to provide loving, secure homes for children in care, provide support for children with SEND and their families, and create higher-quality training and employment paths by empowering local communities to develop the skills people need. We will secure the future of our world class universities as engines of growth, ambition and opportunity for all.
This change is simple to describe, but vast to deliver. Government can’t do it alone – we will work with you as essential and valued partners to deliver our shared mission. I want to renew the trust and respect we hold for each other. My commitment to you is to listen, to draw on your wealth of experience and to act on your honest feedback.

As an initial step, I want to invite you to join me for a live event at 4pm on Tuesday 16 July where I’ll share more about my vision for the education system, but I really want to hear from you too. There will be a chance for you to share your views and ask me questions in the live chat function.

The link to register for the event is here:

Secretary of State for Education live event July 2024

Date: Tuesday, 16 Jul 2024 16:00 - 16:45 BST

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/secretary-of-state-for-education-live-event-july-2024-tickets-940292438997?aff=ebdsshother

I very much look forward to meeting as many of you as possible and working together to break down barriers to opportunity, give all children the best life chances and make sure there is no ceiling on the ambitions of our young people.

Bridget Phillipson
Secretary of State for Education```

Secretary of State for Education live event July 2024 A live online event with the new Secretary of State where she will share her vision for education, children's services and skills.