More pressure is expected to be heaped on Northumberland County Council’s special education budget by the end of the year as demand continues to rise. New figures show the high needs block of the local authority’s school funding is expected to be £8.8 million over budget by the end of the year.
It follows an overspend of more than £8 million last year. While this is partially offset by underspends of more than half a million pounds in other areas, it still means the council’s reserve at the end of the financial year will be in excess of £16 million.
More than £5 million of the overspend comes from the sustained growth in the number of children with education and healthcare plans (EHCPs). This has risen annually by between 21% and 23% every year since 2022/23.
A report presented to the council’s schools forum added that children are also presenting with “increasing complexity”. This growth has also created further pressures across place funding and top-up payments – additional money provided to schools for pupils whose support needs exceed the core budget.
In addition, there has been a significant increase in the cost of the SEND inclusion service driven by an increase in permanent exclusions. As of December, there have been 260 permanent exclusions of predominantly primary school pupils and those with EHCPs.
These exclusions require “costly bespoke placements”, driving an overspend of more than £800,000.
The news comes in the wake of the Government’s announcement on planned SEND reforms. Ministers are planning to bring in changes that will see a tiered level of support and EHCPs reserved for the most complex children.
But speaking at the schools forum, Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust CEO Alan Hardie warned the reforms would take a number of years to implement.
Alan Hardie comment
“The rise in exclusions is an inevitable consequence. Schools simply can’t take higher numbers and more complex need without the support they need and it not manifest into behavioural issues.
“We have got to remember that this is a product of the national situation with SEND. Hopefully, the Government are going to get that under control but it is going to take some time.
“I think, sadly, I can only see the exclusions going one way until we get the national situation under control. They have got to fund us at a local level with the funding we need.”
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