Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help support children with SEND following the application of VAT to private school fees in Fylde constituency.

The majority of children with special educational needs (SEN), including most with education, health and care (EHC) plans, are already educated in mainstream state-funded schools where their needs are met. The department works to support local authorities to ensure that every local area has sufficient places for children that need them, including pupils with SEN requiring places at state-funded schools.

The government is providing an almost £1 billion uplift in high needs revenue funding for the 2025/26 financial year. The government has also announced £740 million of high needs capital funding for 2025/26 to invest in places for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, or who require alternative provision.

Local authorities fund pupils’ places in private schools where their needs can only be met in a private school. Where this is the case, local authorities will be able to reclaim that VAT on the fees from HMRC.