Trusts are warning they face having to make 鈥渟ignificant redundancies鈥 and have no choice but to exclude vulnerable children following shock cuts to SEND budgets in the middle of the year. MATs have written to Norfolk County Council in a last-ditch bid to avoid a funding 鈥渃liff edge鈥, after learning last week how officials鈥 revised approach to top-up funding will impact them. Schools Week revealed in January that the cash-strapped authority was not on track to meet its government 鈥渟afety valve鈥 agreement, which saw it receive 拢70 million to balance its high needs deficit. It was told to submit revised plans and join an 鈥渆nhanced monitoring鈥 scheme, furthering campaigners鈥 concerns over the bailouts, which come with strict cost-cutting demands but aren鈥檛 enough to move councils into the black. But the council has adjusted overall top-up funding allocations for each school over the next two terms to ensure they remain within its 拢35 million budget. This means the allocations will fall below those received since April. ‘Our entire SEND programme at risk’ The council acknowledged 鈥渢his will create some challenges for schools鈥, but said its 鈥渆ntire SEND programme鈥 would be 鈥渁t risk鈥 if hadn鈥檛 made the change. But the letter co-signed by the bosses of five MATs in the area has revealed their 鈥渄isappointment and shock鈥 over the altered budget, as they fear it will come with 鈥渉uge costs鈥. 鈥淎gainst an already very tight financial picture this will result in significant redundancies across schools in Norfolk,鈥 the missive said. 鈥淭he effect on children will be negative in the extreme and will result in a significant spike in exclusions across the county, as schools will have a hugely reduced ability to keep specifically funded children safe or able to learn.鈥 Of the five MATs, the Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust is expected to be the worst hit. Its projections suggest that it will see a 48 per cent reduction to top-up payments in 2024-25, equating to about 拢1 million. Meanwhile, three of the other signatories 鈥 St Benet鈥檚 Multi Academy Trust, St John the Baptist Catholic Multi Academy Trust and Broad Horizons 鈥 forecast cuts of between 21 and 30 per cent. Synergy, which was also named in the letter, has not yet confirmed its figures. Change will have ‘huge costs for kids’ The letter added: 鈥淭his comes with huge costs, both for the children and to the LA, who will, ultimately, have to educate children that have been excluded. 鈥淭he alternative to increased exclusions would be that other children鈥檚 experience of school is extremely negatively impacted, along with that of our staff who will be under increased pressure.鈥 A Norfolk spokesperson said there has been a 鈥渟ignificant increase鈥 in top-up funding for mainstream schools, which has seen it grow from about 拢9 million in 2020-21 to 拢35 million this year. It has been 鈥渨orking with schools to look at how we can provide top-up funding for the remainder of [2024-25]鈥nd have decided to set the budget at 拢35 million鈥. The figure is said to be similar to the amount allocated in 2023-24, which recorded a 拢12 million overspend. Council papers show the funding “has increased significantly” since 2018-19, when just 拢6 million was handed to schools. The document noted “we must live within our means” and that leaders “need to consider the macro impact on the investment to prevent escalation to [education, health and care plans] and special schools requests”. The authority stated that it is 鈥渉aving to make this change in-year and absolutely recognises that this will create some challenges for schools鈥. But the trusts believe this effectively caps funding, leaving them significantly smaller allocations. Trust budgets ‘blown out of water’ They argue that the timing of the announcement leaves them with 鈥渘o ability to plan to 鈥榙o different鈥欌. Even though redundancies are their 鈥渙nly option to achieve a balanced budget鈥, many affected staff 鈥渨ill have notice periods of up to 12 weeks鈥. They will therefore remain employed by the beginning of the new term in September. The trusts are urging the council to 鈥渕eet with us to engage in meaningful discussion on this matter and to avoid the cliff edge which has been created through this announcement鈥. CEO Oliver Burwood added that he鈥檚 been 鈥減lanning our budgets for months and this blows it out of the water鈥. Responding to the leaders鈥 concerns, the council spokesperson said: 鈥淲e have no choice but to make changes, otherwise our entire SEND programme will be at significant risk. 鈥淭he county council is underwriting the current substantial overspend on the high needs block and is committed to a major multi-year programme of change to support children with SEN within the overall financial envelope.鈥 They stressed the council 鈥渨ill support schools to plan for this and to ensure that specific plans for children are not affected鈥.