Government's specialist education cash boost welcomed in Northumberland amid skyrocketing numbers

The county council’s budget for the area is under increasing strain, with the number of children requiring additional support rising rapidly in recent years.

The Government has announced a national capital investment of £740million to create more specialist places in mainstream schools.

The money will be used to adapt classrooms to make them more accessible and create specialist facilities to provide “intensive support” adapted to suit pupil need.

In the summer, officials at Northumberland County Council warned the local authority faced a £6million shortfall in the SEND budget for the next financial year. The number of children with education and healthcare plans (EHCPS) rose from 1,679 in 2017 to 3,369 in 2023 – an increase of 100.6% in just six years.

Reacting to the new funding, Northumberland Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Coun Julie Foster, said: “Children in Northumberland with special educational needs deserve the best possible education – but for too long too many have been failed by a system in crisis.

“Through these SEND reforms – starting with almost three quarters of a billion in capital investment to create more places for SEND children in mainstream schools – we are going to deliver for local children. Labour is ambitious for every child in Northumberland, and the work of change to breakdown the barriers to opportunity has begun.

“The Labour government is taking action – we are fixing the foundations of our schools system and our country to get Britain back on track. We know there is an awful lot more to do, but this is a big step in the right direction.”

The Government has made Professor Karen Guldberg the chair of a new “Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group” – a group of experts who will work alongside the Department to drive inclusive education. Furthermore, no more councils will be entered into so called ‘Safety Valve’ agreements.

The Safety Valve scheme is a DfE funding agreement which forces cash-strapped councils to slash spending on special education provision. A number of councils around the country, including North Tyneside, entered into these agreements with the previous Government – although Northumberland’s director of education David Street described the measures as “unpalatable” last year.

Coun Guy Renner-Thompson, the cabinet member for education at the council’s Conservative administration, welcomed additional Government funding but noted it was not yet clear how much the council would receive. He also praised the council’s record in the SEND area.

Coun Renner-Thompson said: “While any money from the Government is welcome, we do not yet have the detail of how much of this money Northumberland will get.

“The Government talks about 30 local authorities that have been supported to manage their high needs budgets through the Safety Valve programme, which provides support for councils with deficits with their overspending on SEND. Due to our sound management of the council, Northumberland has never needed to be part of this programme.

“We have pioneered the use of ‘Specalist Support Bases’ which give mainstream schools funding to adapt for pupils with SEND. It is encouraging the Government has seen the merit of this and wants to roll this out across England.”