East Riding Council’s cabinet member for children, families and education has criticised the way funding for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is allocated to local councils.
In a statement Councillor Victoria Aitken said:
“In East Riding we receive the lowest amount of funding per child, at £952 per pupil with SEND. The average amount per pupil nationally is £1,371, and if we received this it would mean the council would have a staggering £17.4million more each year for SEND provision.
“This would eliminate the high needs deficit and allow for further investment to reduce spending pressures across SEND and the wider school system budgets. The effect of lower funding in children’s services contributes significantly to the wider council budget, and if we received appropriate funding for high needs, our overall council position would be significantly more manageable.
“Whilst we know there is some outstanding work from schools and professionals, there is a real strain on the system, and we need this to change.”
East Riding Council are not alone in their struggles, a recent report from Child of the North described SEND provision in the UK as a “postcode lottery” and found that a staggering 99% of school leaders report that the funding they receive for pupils with SEND is insufficient.
The report also found that poor SEND provision across the country has profound affects on children’s academic success. For example, the report found that that just 30% of young people with SEND achieved a Grade 4 or higher in English and Maths in 2022/23, compared to 72% without SEND.
Festive Cheer to Light Up Whitby As Christmas Festival Returns This Weekend
Bridlington Town Prepare For Historic FA Trophy Tie Against Macclesfield
Scarborough Athletic Bid To End Trophy Jinx
Olympic Sailing Could Come to the Yorkshire Coast Under New Funding Plans
Whitby Town Face Third Straight Away Day As Losing Run Continues
Job Loss Threat at McCain Foods in Scarborough
Pickering Town Target Turnaround
New Toilets, Kiosks And Café Planned For Filey Promenade
Plans For Permanent Whitby Banking Hub Move A Step Closer
Scarborough And Hornsea Shortlisted For National High Street Awards
Yorkshire Coast Public Services Revert To Paper Records Amid Global Microsoft Outage
Historic Third-Round Place Awaits Bridlington Town In Monumental FA Trophy Clash
Comments
Add a comment