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.
Yorkshire Water Promises No Stone Unturned In Scalby Beck Water Quality Investigation
Scarborough & Whitby MP Promotes Government Work Incentive Plans
Whitby to Hold Freedom Parade After Conferring Highest Honour on Army Corps
Yorkshire Coast Cricket Round-Up
Hunters East Coast Donates £1,000 To Filey Lions Club For Second Consecutive Year
Call For More Traffic Wardens After Bad Parking Blocks Bus In Hornsea
Police Appeal After Filey Crash
More Temporary Toilets To Be Installed In Filey Ahead Of Summer Season
New Policy To Tackle Anti-Social Behaviour In North Yorkshire
Charity Commission Urged to Investigate Sale of Yorkshire Coast Community Hall
New Exhibition Celebrates East Riding's Polish Community
Scarborough Fringe Festival Underway With Action-Packed Programme
Comments
Add a comment