Funding for pupils with special educational needs drops 17%

The government has been accused of failing children with special educational needs after a report found funding for pupils had been cut by 17% across England since 2015.The report by the thinktank IPPR North also revealed the north had been worst affected, with cuts of 22% per pupil. Researchers found government spending on support for children and young people with the most complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) had failed to keep pace with rising demand, resulting in a reduction in funds available per pupil.The report also found that cuts to education and local government budgets had led to a dramatic reduction in support for children with less complex needs and had increased demand for more intensive support. The current funding settlement for schools and colleges was “nowhere near enough” to provide the support that children and young people with SEND needed and deserved, the researchers said.