CYP Now - Children with SEND 'worst affected' by school funding pressures

Children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) are "particularly negatively affected" by ongoing financial pressures in schools, a report by Ofsted has found.

One-to-one support has been cut at some schools to ease financial pressures, Ofsted said. Picture: Adobe Stock

Research conducted by the inspectorate, at the request of the House of Commons public accounts select committee, found that 80 per cent of primary school head teachers and 72 per cent of secondary head teachers who responded to a survey said changes to SEND provision had been made due to financial pressure.

Of these, 41 per cent of primary school head teachers and 27 per cent of secondary school head teachers described the changes as “major”.

The report, which looked at all the possible implications of funding pressures for schools, found that staff and leaders reported that pupils with SEND, and predominantly pupils with SEN support rather than those with education, health and care plans, have been "particularly negatively affected by schools’ responses to financial pressure”.

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