• Education

    Warning SEND costs will surge by billions without reforms

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    By Jasmine Norden

    Copyright independent

    Warning SEND costs will surge by billions without reforms

    The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) warns that spending on special educational needs and disabilities (Send) is projected to reach £21 billion by 2029, potentially surpassing the Ministry of Justice’s day-to-day budget.

    This forecast represents more than double the real-terms spending recorded in 2016, with high needs spending in schools (EHCPs) expected to exceed £15 billion and child disability living allowance (CDLA) reaching £6 billion.

    The proportion of pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) has nearly doubled in a decade to 5.2 per cent, while child disability living allowance recipients have also doubled to 7.2 per cent.

    The IFS highlights worrying evidence that children receiving Send support often experience poorer outcomes in adulthood, with many not in education, employment, or training by age 22.

    School leaders and the IFS urge the Government to implement significant reforms, backed by sufficient funding and early intervention, to improve outcomes for children with Send, with the Government’s plans due in the Schools White Paper.

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