Education

EHCP numbers doubled. Per-pupil SEN funding halved.
Your MP can press the Secretary of State for Education.

The number of children in England with an Education, Health and Care Plan – the legal document entitling a child to specialist SEN support – more than doubled between 2016 and 2025, rising from 237,000 to 483,000. Despite the total high-needs budget growing significantly, the funding available per child with an EHCP has approximately halved in real terms over the same period, according to the Institute for Government. Around two-thirds of state special schools are operating over capacity.

By 2023/24, local authority spending on high-needs provision exceeded available funding by £1.9 billion – up from £611 million in 2019/20. Around 70% of councils carry cumulative school budget deficits. Insufficient capacity in state special schools has pushed children into independent settings at an estimated £65,500 per pupil, compared to around £25,500 for a state school place.

Your MP can question the Secretary of State for Education on the adequacy of the high-needs funding settlement, press for faster action on the SEND improvement plan, and raise the EHCP backlog as a matter of direct constituency concern.

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