Rachel Reeves announced on Wednesday the Government’s planned day-to-day spending totals for all government departments for the next few years from 2026/27 to 2028/29 and investment plans for a further year up to 2030.
Among the big announcements was an extra £4.5bn a year for the schools budget to help fund teachers’ pay rises and implement reforms to special educational needs and disability (SEND) provision.
The Government is planning to overhaul the SEND system, which could see more pupils with special educational needs and disabilities remaining in mainstream schools.
Dame Christine Lenehan, the Government’s strategic advisor on SEND, was asked last month whether she thought there would be fewer Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) under the redesign being considered.
For parents and those working in SEND provision, there remains a fear the extra funding for schools will not improve the day-to-day provision for children with SEND.
She told The i Paper: “Unless I missed something, she seems to be more interested in the buildings than SEN provision.
“Having children in the appropriate setting from an early age will ensure they are able to thrive both academically and personally.
She said the investment in prisons was interesting aspect of the spending review.
Parent Erica Knight said a lack of spending on SEND provision now will end up costing more in the future (Photo: supplied/Erica Knight)
Ms Knight and her partner spent years battling to get an EHCP for their son. But finally obtaining one has not been the “magic wand” they had hoped to improve their son’s educational experience because the school is not able to provide all the resources needed.
“There is still only one teacher and one teaching assistant (TA) and they cannot possibly do everything stated in the EHCP in a class of 30!”
She said: “Timewise, I personally spend a lot of time dealing with appointments, chasing, emailing, calling.
“It feels like a constant battle for provision and acceptance. At the end of the day, it really shouldn’t be this hard.
“All we want is for them to be safe, happy and to be the best they can be and thecurrent system does not allow that.”
‘Children fall through the cracks’
She has seen first-hand the struggles parents have to get SEND provision for their child from long delays in getting EHCPs to a lack of resources in some local authorities.
“However, this rising demand is putting enormous pressure on an already overstretched system.
“As resources are stretched, many children with genuine needs fall through the cracks.”
Shermeena Rabbi is a speech and language therapist involved in EHCP assessments (Photo: Shermeena Rabbi)“EHCP criteria can vary widely between boroughs, and some children are not considered ‘complex enough’ to qualify, even though they have significant challenges”, she said “This inconsistency creates a postcode lottery, leaving parents feeling frustrated and helpless.”
She fears the gap between what children with SEND need and what the system can provide is “only going to grow wider”.
“This means properly resourcing schools, local authorities and the NHS so that assessments and interventions can happen early when they are most effective and not months or even years down the line”, she added.
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