A teaching union has branded Labour’s special educational needs funding as “barely a drop in the bucket” ahead of a major overhaul of the system.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson is set to unveil sweeping reforms to special educational needs and disabilities (Send) provision on Monday.
An additional £1.6billion will be channelled into an “Inclusive Mainstream Fund” to support projects helping Send pupils in schools.
A further £1.8billion over three years will fund a new “Experts at Hand” service, aimed at giving schools greater access to specialist support through local authorities.
But Matt Wrack, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, dismissed claims the investment would be enough to deliver meaningful reform.
“While increased early support for Send is welcome, years of underfunding and diminished external services mean that this new funding is barely a drop in the bucket of the investment necessary to drive real improvement in schools. £1.6billion over three years may sound like a lot of money, but it equates to just a few thousand pounds per setting.
“It is absolutely ridiculous to suggest that Send provision can be adequately overhauled with this low level of funding, or that the associated workloads for teachers could be in any way offset by throwing a bit of money in their general direction.
“Extra specialist support for secondary schools is welcome but we have no clarity as to whether it will be significant enough to meet the considerable additional demands these proposals will place on teachers. Extra specialist support proposals for primary schools are also currently unclear, which is worrying if they are to become hubs of early intervention.”
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and Sir Keir Starmer while visiting a London school in 2024
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Central to the reforms is a move away from education, health and care plans (EHCPs), with the threshold for eligibility expected to rise.
That could mean some pupils with less complex needs – including certain children on the autism spectrum – may no longer qualify.
The National Autistic Society warned that “delegating the blame” to “overwhelmed and underfunded school staff” would not fix the crisis.
A spokesman said: “We’re concerned the Government’s reforms aren’t anywhere near enough to fix the broken Send system that’s been buckling under pressure for years.”
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NASUWT said the reforms were ‘absolutely ridiculous’
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Mrs Phillipson insisted Labour was “fiercely ambitious for children and young people with Send”.
She said: “These reforms are a watershed moment for a generation of young people and generations to come, and a major milestone in this Government’s mission to make sure opportunity is for each and every child.”
Keir Starmer said the proposals were inspired by his late brother, Nick.
He wrote in The Times: “My brother Nick had so much to contribute to Britain. He belonged in mainstream society, as do the wonderful adults that today’s children with Send will grow up to be.
Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott said ‘it remains unclear whether this is new money’
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GETTY“And so I believe, where possible and right, these children also belong in mainstream schooling.”
The Conservatives said the announcement lacked clarity, urging the Government to guarantee that children with an EHCP would not lose support their parents had fought to secure.
Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott said: “Despite today’s announcement, it remains unclear whether this is new money, and months on how the £6billion Send black hole will be filled.
“This is not money you can find down the back of the sofa.”