Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to take steps to provide additional funding for SEND placements in alternative provision.

High needs funding supports local authorities with the costs of provision for the increasing number of children with Education, Health and Care plans, those who require specialist services and those in alternative provision (AP), including children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) placed in AP.

In the 2024/25 financial year, the department is increasing high needs revenue funding to over £10.5 billion, which will be an increase of over 60% from 2019/20. The City of York Council is due to receive an allocation of £28.5 million in 2024/25, which is a cumulative increase of 27% per head over the three years from 2021/22.

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places, including for pupils with SEND, sits with local authorities. The department allocates funding to support local authorities to meet this duty and has provided over £1.5 billion of high needs Provision Capital Allocations for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years. This funding can be used to deliver new places in mainstream and special schools, as well as other specialist settings, and to improve the suitability and accessibility of existing buildings.