Councils have seized millions of pounds in extra funding designated for special schools, with 鈥渟hameful鈥 plans afoot to let them evade passing on more rises next year. The move means special schools are being starved of extra cash that instead is being passed on to their mainstream counterparts. Last year鈥檚 spending review promised 拢1.6 billion extra for schools this year to cover increased cost pressures. Of this 拢1.2 billion was passed to mainstream schools directly under the Schools Supplementary Grant (SSG). But the 拢325 million funding increase allocated for special and alternative provision schools goes to councils as part of their high-needs budget. These schools were told to 鈥渄iscuss鈥 potential increases with their local authority. Schools Week has found at least two cash-strapped councils who kept up to 拢4.3 million of additional high-needs funding this year. Others said they were still in talks with schools. To resolve this next year, ministers will introduce a minimum funding guarantee (MFG) that will require councils to increase special schools鈥 top-up funding by 3 per cent in 2023-24. But in another blow to the special schools sector, the government has said councils can ask to keep the cash to plug black holes. Rob Williams, a senior policy adviser at the leaders鈥 union , said this was a 鈥渟hameful and indefensible decision and shows that this government does not appear to prioritise the needs of our most vulnerable pupils鈥. 鈥淚nstead, they seem content to see local authorities use funding that should be used for SEND support and provision, be redirected to plug a local deficit.鈥 Special schools hardest-hit by pay rise costs Special schools have been hardest hit by unfunded pay rises as their pupils鈥 additional needs generally mean staffing costs make up a larger part of their budgets. Graham Quinn, the chair of Special School Voice, said budgets in real terms have fallen 25 to 30 per cent in the past eight years. It was 鈥渢otally untenable and unacceptable鈥, with schools closing hydrotherapy pools, cutting back holiday provision and compromising their statutory objectives to deliver education, health and care plans. Kirklees Council kept its 拢2.4 million 鈥渋n order to maintain levels of funding for 2022-23鈥. The council has a dedicated schools grant (DSG) deficit of more than 拢30 million and is on the government鈥檚 鈥渟afety-valve鈥 programme, where it is given a bail-out in exchange for cutting costs. A spokesperson said there was 鈥渘o expectation through discussions鈥 with the Education and Skills Funding Agency that the additional cash had to be passed on. 鈥淚n Kirklees we are continuing to make a huge commitment to supporting children and young people with additional needs.鈥 In an FOI response, Hillingdon Council in north London said its 鈥渁greement鈥 was that its 拢1.9 million was used 鈥渢o further fund dedicated school grant-related expenditure鈥. The high-needs budget formed part of DSG. The council did not respond to comment. A decision is still to be taken in Stoke-on-Trent, also a safety-valve council. An FOI response says it will use some of the funds for the minimum funding guarantee next financial year. Trust threatens judicial review over SEND funding Schools Week understands one academy trust, which wishes to remain anonymous, sent a letter before action threatening judicial review to three local authorities as they did not pass any extra funding on to schools. The councils then agreed a 4 per cent rise. Decisions also show a postcode lottery. In Salford, just 12 per cent of 拢1.9 million was passed on to special schools. In Doncaster, special schools top-up rates increased by 4 per cent for 2022-23. Croydon increased top-up funding by 5 per cent. Julia Harnden Recognising that some councils have already passed the extra cash on, the 3 per cent rise in MFG will be compared to funding base lines in 2021-22. But the government told Schools Week that councils could still request the secretary of state鈥檚 permission to exclude some or all of their schools from the top-up funding requirement. No decisions relating to next year had been made yet. Julia Harden, a funding specialist at heads鈥 union ASCL, said the increased MFG was a 鈥渟tep in the right direction鈥. 鈥淏ut the underlying problem is that the government is not providing enough money to support children with special educational needs, and the complexities of different funding pots is a case of shifting the deckchairs on the Titanic. Special schools and the young people they serve deserve better.鈥 DfE said it is 鈥渃ommitted to providing a world class education system for all children, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, which is why we have increased high needs funding to 拢9.1 billion overall this year鈥.
Mike 18 November 2022 Rewarding/bailing out the LAs like Devon , Surrey, Hillingdon or Hammersmith and Fulham while some other LAs in England are able to keep a healthy High Need budge balance without the need for so called safety valve is unjustifiably and unfair. These LAs should automatically fail their Ofsted Children’s Services inspection for poor financial management.
Stephen J Morgan 19 November 2022 This is a hard subject to discuss but needs airing. Children with high needs attend mainstream as well as special schools. Failures in the past have been triggered by funding going to special schools while mainstream of suffered significantly. Parent carers have been very aware of this and this created pressure on the system for parents reverting to special schools. Ofsted reconginise that there are children in special schools who could have easily managed in mainstream if the true amount of funding were available to the mainstream. It’s hard to discuss because special schools do a fantastic work with some of the most needy. No one wants them to go without but also no one wants children forced into special schools when they could manage in mainstream with the appropriate finding to enable the appropriate resources.