Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has held with headteachers from schools for pupils with severe learning difficulties and disabilities regarding the adequacy of the funding settlements in place for those schools.

Ministers and departmental officials meet with head teachers from special schools and their representatives, on a regular basis. As a result of these discussions, the department is aware of the cost increases that special schools are facing.

In July 2022, the department announced high needs funding will be increased by £1.65 billion over two years, between the 2021/22 and 2023/24 financial years. This is an increase of 21% and will bring total high needs funding to £9.7 billion by 2023/24. The increase will help schools to support children with the most complex needs

In addition to the £9.7 billion funding next year, and following the £2 billion funding increases for schools and high needs announced in the 2022 Autumn Statement, the department will be allocating a further funding increase for high needs funding, in 2023/24 and 2024/25. We will shortly set out plans for the allocation of this funding.