THE Government is being urged to review how schools and special educational needs funding is allocated.
Councillor Janet Higgins, Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for education and SEND, has written to Lucy Powell MP, Secretary of State for Education, asking for action to tackle “long-standing inequalities”.
The authority says Staffordshire receives some of the lowest levels of funding in England for schools and for support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
Almost 11,100 children and young people in Staffordshire currently have Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) – and demand for support continues to rise each year. But the council says funding has not kept up with growing need.
The county council says that if Staffordshire received funding in line with the national averages, local schools could get tens of millions of pounds more each year.
Cllr Higgins said that the funding gap was putting pressure on the whole education system:
“Every child in Staffordshire deserves the best possible start in life and the support they need to achieve their full potential.
“Our schools, teachers and support staff do a fantastic job, but they are being asked to do more and more with less funding than many other areas of the country receive.
“The number of children and young people needing SEND support continues to grow. We as a council are investing in local provision and working hard to improve services. However, the current funding system simply is not fair to Staffordshire.
“As a large rural county, we also face additional costs, particularly home-to-school and SEND transport, that are not fully recognised. We need a funding system that reflects real need and gives every child the same opportunities, regardless of where they live.
“I am asking the Government to look again at how funding is allocated and work with councils like Staffordshire to create a fairer system that supports children, families and schools both now and in the future.”
In the letter, the council asks the Government to review the National Funding Formula, increase school and high needs funding and recognise the extra costs faced by large rural counties – including transport for children and young people with SEND.
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