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The Latest Breaking News from Send

Pupils with special needs ‘have to travel further to school for suitable place’

Spending by councils on transporting children with Send to schools is predicted to increase to around £1.97 billion in 2025/26, a report suggests.

Evening Standard

Councils face millions in extra Send costs as overhaul delayed

High-needs deficits kept off council books for two more years in England, but some say it prolongs financial pain

The Guardian - UK

Councils in England warn of mass bankruptcies as Send deficits soar

Local authorities say a £5bn shortfall in special needs funding could leave dozens effectively insolvent within months

The Guardian - UK

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Specialist teams to tackle post-pandemic school speech therapy backlog

The Government has backed an early intervention programme with £3.4 million of funding.

Evening Standard

From Send to cycle lanes, how Reform may try to change English councils

Nigel Farage’s party took control of a swathe of councils in the 2025 local elections. Its promises will now be put to the test

The Guardian - UK

Headteachers in England, Wales and NI say Send provision crisis is worsening

Nine out of 10 school leaders tell survey they are finding it harder to meet special needs of pupils than a year ago

The Guardian - UK

Most schools have Send pupils in mainstream classes amid capacity issues – poll

Many parents are ‘frustrated’ that schools cannot fully meet the needs of the Send pupils in their care, the chief of a school leaders’ union said.

Evening Standard

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Majority of teachers say support for special needs pupils has decreased – survey

The findings have been released ahead of the NASUWT teaching union’s annual conference in Liverpool over Easter.

The Independent UK

Disabled children ‘waiting 200 days to be assessed for social care support’

Sense said waiting for an assessment leaves families without appropriate support from their local authority.

The Independent UK

Scores of English councils could go bankrupt when hidden Send debt reappears

Deficits of £5.2bn have been put aside for seven years in accounting fix that ends on 31 March 2026

The Guardian - UK

Nearly 20 councils in England ‘at risk of insolvency’ due to Send costs

Exclusive: Councils say multibillion-pound debts caused by years of overspends on special educational needs support

The Guardian - UK

Gap of 8,000 secondary school places in special schools last year – figures

Around two in three special schools in England were ‘at or over capacity’ in the last academic year, the Department for Education said.

Evening Standard

Blow for Government as Lords vote against ending tax relief for private schools

Peers supported a Conservative amendment to the Non-Domestic (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill with a majority of 91.

Evening Standard

Bridget Phillipson: parents must ‘think differently’ on Send support for children

Education secretary says England’s special needs system has not delivered, as school leaders say it is on brink of collapse

The Guardian - UK

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The Guardian - UK

English councils seeking more help to pay for rise in Send transport costs

Exclusive: Costs particularly acute in more rural areas, where many children with special needs have to use taxis

The Guardian - UK

‘Ticking timebomb’: how Send spending could bankrupt English councils

Guardian analysis lays bare a neglected system that is ruinously expensive, and often fails children and parents

The Guardian - UK

Ministers plan major changes to Send education in England

White paper being prepared as councils hope for relief from huge deficits in special educational needs budgets

The Independent UK

Hundreds of thousands of families in England to find out secondary school places

Parents of children with special educational needs face a ‘postcode lottery’ to secure specialist provision, a school leaders’ union has warned.

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The Guardian - UK

Some pupils in England less likely to have special needs identified, study shows

Research by Education Policy Institute highlights groups it says are at greater risk of missing out on Send support

The Guardian - UK

Successful special educational needs complaints in England quadruple in four years

Rising demand and ballooning council deficits have left a threadbare service – and children and parents in crisis

Evening Standard

Nearly three in five academy trusts now have in-year deficits, report suggests

Academy leaders said rising staff costs and growing demand for Send provision are financial challenges.

The Independent UK

‘Lost generation’ at risk of leaving school without vital Send support, MPs warn

Whether children receive support depends too much on their postcode, or how well families can navigate the system, the Public Accounts Committee said.

Evening Standard

Ofsted to meet parents of Send children to understand why they are not in school

It comes as proposed legislation is seeking to remove the automatic right for parents to home educate their children if they are at risk of harm.

The Guardian - UK

Early intervention is vital to end the special needs crisis

Letters: The national curriculum isn’t working, say former teachers Pauline Silcock and Celia Roberts. Plus a letter from Coram CEO Dr Carol Homden

The Guardian - UK

The culture wars are coming for children with special needs – Labour must tread carefully

With the yawning gap between available funding and rising demand, parents are right to fear the government’s reaction, says Guardian columnist John Harris

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