SEND levels “fast rising” posing “enormous challenges”
In its response to research on the “fast-rising” special educational needs and disability or SEND levels, London Councils has warned of “enormous challenges” that it said threaten to “break boroughs’ budgets.”
A recent report commissioned by the County Councils Network reveals that SEND levels among children and young people in England has reached an all-time high of 638,000 this year. The analysis shows an increase of 134% in the number of 0-25-year-olds in the capital with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) between 2014/15 and 2024/25. It also predicts a further increase of 4.10% by 2028/29.
Earlier this year, London Councils warned that at least 16 of London’s 33 local authorities are at heightened risk of bankruptcy as a result of insufficient funding and a rise in SEND levels. The cross-party group predicts that London’s borough deficits for SEND provisions will be at least £500 million by the end of 2025-26, “destabilising town hall budgets and undermining investment in schools’ resources and support for pupils.”
“These figures are deeply alarming and will pose enormous challenges to boroughs across the capital,” Cllr Ian Edwards, London Councils’ Executive Member for Children and Young People. “We are committed to providing high-quality support for all young Londoners with SEND, but the system was not designed to cope with such a dramatic rise in demand.
“Government funding has failed to keep pace, leaving boroughs with huge deficits threatening to break our budgets. We are calling for funding that reduces these deficits and reflects London’s fast-growing SEND numbers, enabling us to meet the needs of all children and young people in the capital.”
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