Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding for schools to support pupils with SEND.

The government’s funding for education helps schools raise attainment and provide the right support to all pupils, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

Funding for mainstream schools, where most pupils with SEND are educated, and high needs funding for children and young people with complex needs, will be over £1.8 billion higher in 2024/25, compared to 2023/24.

Within the total 2024/25 budget for schools of £59.6 billion, high needs funding will be increasing by a further £440 million, or 4.3%, in 2024/25 compared to this financial year. This will bring the total high needs budget to over £10.5 billion in 2024/25, an increase of over 60% from the 2019/20 allocations. This funding will help schools and local authorities with the increasing costs of supporting children and young people with SEND.