Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of support provided to schools to meet the needs of students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

The department commissioned the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) Review in March 2022 to understand how improvements can be made to the SEND system, recognising that reforms to the system from 2014 have been unable to achieve the intended outcomes. The review aims to determine what changes can be made in order to establish a system that constantly delivers for children and young people with SEND. Combined with the Schools White Paper and wider reforms, we are seeking to create a coherent education, health and care system, which aims to support all children and young people in England to realise their potential.

In March 2022, the department shared High Needs Provision Capital Allocations, announcing new investment of over £1.4 billion. This funding is to support local authorities to deliver new places for academic years 2023/24 and 2024/25, and to improve existing provision for children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision (AP).

This investment is alongside the increase in high needs revenue funding, which is rising by £1 billion in 2022/23 (compared to 2021/22), and follows an increase of more than £1.5 billion over the previous two years. This brings the total high needs budget to £9.1 billion.

The 2022 Autumn Statement has provided an additional increase in the core schools budget, including funding for high needs schools, of £2.3 billion in both 2023/24 and 2024/25. After adjusting to take account for the removal of the compensation for employer costs of the Health and Social Care Levy, this brings the core schools budget to a total of £58.8 billion in 2024/25, £2 billion greater than published at the 2021 Spending Review.

The department will continue to support the system in the immediate term to deliver change, and continue to improve the experience and outcomes for children and young people with SEND and those who need AP. We intend to publish a full response to the SEND and AP green paper to make sure that every child gets the support they deserve.