Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to page 130 of the report, UK Poverty: Causes and Solutions, published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation on 6 September 2016, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of the recommendation to ensure that educational institutions identify children with SEND that are at risk of exclusion and provide additional funding from Government for interventions for those children to reduce that risk.

Schools are already funded to support pupils with special education needs (SEN), and we are clear that they should consider whether the needs of pupils with SEN are being met before issuing an exclusion.

The statutory guidance, which schools must have regard to when issuing exclusions, sets out that head teachers should consider early intervention to address underlying causes of disruptive behaviour, including an assessment of whether appropriate provision is in place to support any SEN or disability that a pupil may have. The guidance also sets out that head teachers should make additional efforts to consider what extra support may be required to avoid excluding pupils with special educational needs, and as far as possible, should avoid permanently excluding pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan.

Schools are funded through the formula set by their local authority, and local authorities are required to delegate funds to a level that enables schools to meet the additional cost of supporting pupils with SEN up to £6,000 per annum. The local authority also provides top-up funding for SEN support costs in excess of £6,000.