Now is the time to grasp the nettle around SEND reform and fairer education funding
Cllr Alex Dale, Chair
| f40
Every child should have access to the same resources and opportunities. We need a fairer funding formula that responds to changing needs and an inclusive, supported education system for all
We are at a crossroads with our education system and much rides on the direction of travel we, as a country, decide to go in.
The f40 group believes that the education of our most valuable asset – children – should be a key priority for any government. We must revolutionise our education system and invest heavily if we are to help pupils reach their potential and ensure we are able to grow and prosper as a nation.
However, with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) in crisis and an unfair education funding system that treats some children as being worth more than others, there is much work to do, and we urge MPs to ensure there is investment in our education system and that it is distributed fairly.
Seismic challenge ahead
As we await the much-anticipated reforms on SEND, we implore government to be bold and brave in its desire to reset the school system and resolve the crisis in SEND. Tinkering around the edges will not be sufficient to tackle the enormous challenge in SEND, which has resulted in children not receiving the right support at the right time in the right environment, and which is threatening to bankrupt 50 per cent of local authorities. The cumulative SEND deficit among councils in England is expected to be £5bn by April next year.
To achieve the inclusive mainstream system we strive for, schools must be provided with support, guidance, resources, training and funding to ensure they are able to meet the needs of all children, including those with SEND
There must also be a clearer understanding of the agreed level of support schools should be providing to children with SEND. Currently, schools are doing their own thing – some very well, and some not so well – which has created an uneven SEND landscape and has diminished parents’ confidence in the mainstream system.
Scrutiny is important. Schools should be accountable for the inclusive support they provide, and, equally, independent SEND providers should be held to account for the quality and value for money they provide.
And better targeting of funding in Early Years, early intervention, resources and training will also be crucial elements to success. However, all of that said, without the investment to make those policy changes happen, we run the risk of failing our children.
Time for fairer funding
f40 believes that now is the pivotal time for government to commit to a review of the whole education funding system to ensure all schools have sufficient budgets to operate with, before additional money is added on for pupil, school and local area need.
Both Mainstream and High Needs funding should be overhauled and interwoven to ensure they are fair and able to meet need, with funding targeted at where it will have the most impact. For decades, the system used to distribute school funding has been grossly unfair, with some local authorities and schools receiving far less than others.
When it comes to schools funding, there is a £5,000 per pupil difference between the highest and lowest funded areas of the country. For SEND, the highest funded local authority area receives around £3,600 per pupil compared to the lowest, which receives less than £1,000. We accept there will always be a difference, based on pupil and school need, as well as area living costs, but there is no justification for the very wide disparity we currently see.
While the National Funding Formula was introduced with the best of intentions, it continues to lock in many of the historic elements that result in significant gains for some schools, while capping others from receiving more. Around 20 per cent of school and SEND funding is based on historic data, which bears no resemblance to the needs of today. As a result, neighbouring local authority areas with a similar cohort of children can receive wildly different funding levels for their academies and maintained schools, amounting to millions of pounds each year.
The Minimum Per Pupil Funding Level (MPPFL) was designed to top up those schools that received less funding, but in practice it does little to level the playing field. The MPPFL does not consider how big or small a school is, or how many High Needs children are on the roll. Small schools, therefore, struggle under the current system as while they have the same high operating costs, they attract less funding due to their smaller numbers. And those with high numbers of SEND children may receive the same funding as a neighbouring school with far fewer pupils with additional needs.
The funding system is unfair, unforgiving, and slow to respond to changing needs. We need a full reset and a new system where children are equally valued, regardless of where they live
If the funding formula worked well, there would be no need for the MPPFL at all.
Impossible task for schools
Headteachers and their staff will do whatever it takes to ensure their pupils have the best chances at success. However, some are having to work far harder than others to make their budgets stretch. It’s exhausting and it’s having an impact on teacher retention and recruitment.
The difference in funding can mean schools having to operate with less staff, including vital teachers and teaching assistants, scaling back on resources, or reducing their extra-curricular activities. In short, it is the children who suffer.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council is the lowest funded local authority for SEND in England, receiving less than £1,000 per pupil, which is less than a third of what the highest funded area receives. My colleague in f40, Councillor Victoria Aitken, East Riding’s portfolio holder for Children and Young People’s Education, Health and Wellbeing, sums it up very well. She said: “If we were the highest funded local authority area in the country, we would receive £100m more to spend on our SEND services than we do now. Why are children in East Riding worth less? The funding system is not fit for purpose.”
For more information about f40, go to www.f40.org.uk or contact Secretary Karen Westcott on karen@dtw.co.uk or 07545 210067.
f40 parliamentary briefing
f40 is hosting a parliamentary briefing about education funding and the SEND crisis on Tuesday 1st July, from 5.30pm until 7pm, in the Boothroyd Room, Portcullis House. All MPs and their staff are welcome. For more information, contact Secretary Karen Westcott at karen@dtw.co.uk.
