Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase SEND funding in Devon.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

Overall schools funding is increasing by £3.2 billion in the 2025/26 financial year and will total over £64.8 billion, compared to almost £61.6 billion in 2024/25. Within that total there is an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year. This brings total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to over £12 billion. Of that total, Devon County Council is being allocated over £125 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG), an increase of £8.9 million on their 2024/25 DSG high needs block.

Mainstream schools are expected to contribute from their budgets to the cost of supporting their pupils with SEND up to a cost threshold of £6,000 per pupil per annum. Local authorities support schools with SEND support costs in excess of that threshold, using funds from their high needs budgets. Nevertheless, the government recognises that the rising costs of SEND provision are putting a strain on local government and school finances. The government is considering, as part of the current spending review due to conclude in June, the funding and changes required in future years, to ensure that high-quality services for children and young people with SEND can be delivered in a financially sustainable way.