Special Educational Needs System Under Strain

A BBC investigation has revealed that children requiring support for complex needs are being placed in private educational institutions located as far as 200 miles from their residences due to insufficient capacity within the public education system. Local authorities, facing difficulties in managing an unprecedented volume of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), are increasingly turning to private sector providers. According to headteachers, government funding has failed to match the escalating demand, resulting in both mainstream and specialized schools experiencing difficulties in managing their operations. Consequently, local authorities report that they are compelled to allocate millions of pounds to independent providers, some of which are situated considerable distances from the children’s homes. If mainstream schools cannot adequately address pupils’ additional requirements, an application can be submitted for the child to receive an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP). These comprehensive legal documents outline the necessary support and legally bind the child’s local authority to ensure its provision. In England, the count of children and young people holding an EHCP reached an unprecedented 600,000 in June, marking a 70% increase since January 2019. Over the past five years, the most significant rise has been observed in the north-west of England. Following data requests to 25 councils within the region, the BBC has ascertained: A spokesperson for the Department for Education stated that SEND children and young people had been “for too long let down,” and affirmed that the government was “ready to speak to any council that is experiencing financial difficulties.” Multiple parents informed BBC News that they were compelled to withdraw their children from mainstream educational settings due to the schools’ inability to fulfill their EHCP requirements. Ruth reported that her eight-year-old son, Samuel, who has autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), has not attended a classroom since January. The mother from Stockport elaborated that Samuel had previously been absent from school for a period of six months because his former primary school was unable to address his specific needs. Although a specialized educational environment was eventually secured for her son, Ruth indicated that it still failed to deliver the provisions stipulated in his EHCP. She explained that this situation left her with no alternative but to remove Samuel from his new school. Unable to secure an alternative, she subsequently resigned from her employment. This year, Ruth stated that she has spent the majority of mornings at home with Samuel, who currently receives 12 hours of education weekly through an Education Other Than At School (EOTAS) outreach package administered by an independent school specializing in autistic children. Stockport Council covers these expenses, having allocated nearly £14m for private school placements in the 12 months leading up to April. The local authority’s total SEND deficit amounts to £23m. Adjacent to Stockport, Cheshire East Council expended £40m on 624 independent school placements during 2023-24, equating to an average expenditure of £64,000 per student. This council reports a SEND deficit of £78m, which is the largest in England. Sam Corcoran, a former council leader, commented: “The system is broken and it is breaking families and councils.” He added: “Funding has not kept pace with demand and the number of special school places is vastly outstripped by the number of families with children needing one.” Mr. Corcoran, who resigned in July shortly before a scheduled vote of no confidence concerning the local authority’s financial situation, asserted that mainstream schools were “starved of funds” and “do not have the resources to cope.” The Labour councillor indicated that this situation frequently results in “too often, children are having to travel long distances to out-of-area placements.” Chatsworth High School and Community College, a state-funded academy in Salford, serves students aged 11 to 19 who are autistic or experience profound and severe learning difficulties. Despite expanding its capacity from 120 to almost 200 students over the past decade, the institution remains over-subscribed. Martin Hanbury, who retired as the head teacher after an interview with the BBC this summer, described a challenging situation. He stated: “Core funding for these children hasn’t increased in a decade.” He further remarked: “There simply isn’t enough space to cater for the increasing numbers.” Andy represents another parent familiar with the difficulties of securing adequate support. He travels with his 12-year-old son, Noah, on a 30-minute commute from their home in Cheadle Hulme to a school in Macclesfield, located in adjacent Cheshire. Stockport Council, their local authority, finances this placement. Andy commented: “Noah missed his last nine months of primary school and it really affected his mental health.” He added: “We had situations where he’d cling to lampposts, climb on the roof, and we’d have to restrain him several times a day.” Cole Andrew, a former head teacher of a special school and a local authority SEND advisor, observed that staff in mainstream schools are compelled to support children with fewer resources than ever before. Given that special schools are also operating at full capacity, the education consultant noted that local authorities are being obliged to fund expensive independent schools. This scarcity also necessitates local authorities to seek placements in more distant locations. In the previous financial year, 17 councils in the North West facilitated 5,220 EHCP placements outside their boroughs, marking the highest figure ever recorded. Twelve local authorities collectively spent £16.8m on taxi services to transport students to and from schools situated in different areas. Cheshire West and Chester Council disbursed £2.7m, which encompassed 200-mile, four-hour commutes to and from Beechwood College, an independent institution in Glamorgan specializing in education for individuals with autism. In an official statement, the Department for Education declared: “We are focused on fixing the foundations of local government by rebuilding the sector from the ground up and stand ready to speak to any council that is experiencing financial difficulties.” The department continued: “For too long, children and young people with SEND have been let down by a system that is not working and we are determined to tackle these issues head-on, improving children’s life chances with better inclusivity and expertise within mainstream schools.” It concluded: “There is no ‘magic wand’ to fix these deep-rooted issues, but we have already started with Ofsted reform, our curriculum review, and more training for early years staff, and will continue to act as quickly as possible to create the change that is so desperately needed.” For Mr. Hanbury, the urgency for change is paramount. He asserted: “The system has burst,” adding, “We have to make a decision as a society as to whether we want to educate these young people in the same way as they do in mainstream and more privileged schools.”