SEND

Lib Dems would halve schools’ SEND funding contribution to £3k

Party would give councils more money to cut what schools have to pay, and set up a 'national body' to fund most expensive support

Party would give councils more money to cut what schools have to pay, and set up a 'national body' to fund most expensive support

The Liberal Democrats would halve the amount schools have to pay towards pupils’ additional SEND support to £3,000, under plans signed off at the party’s conference.

Delegates have approved a policy paper “A Better Start in Life”, which sets out the party’s vision for childcare and early years education, but also for special educational needs and disabilities.

At present, mainstream schools have to put £6,000 from their budgets towards the cost of supporting pupils with SEND.

But the Lib Dems would, if they form a government, “give local authorities extra funding to halve the amount that schools pay towards the costs of a child’s additional SEN support, from £6,000 to £3,000”.

This would “help to remove the financial disincentive that stops schools from identifying their pupils’ SEND as early as possible”, the policy paper states.

The Lib Dems estimate the policy would cost around £1.2 billion, based on the 389,171 school-age pupils who had an education, health and care plan as of January this year.

The party would also include a “specific emphasis on identifying and supporting children with SEND” in a new training programme for early years staff, also confirmed today.

New ‘national body’ for SEND

They would also aim to “help to end the postcode lottery in SEND provision by establishing a new national body for SEND to fund support for children with very high needs”.

Munira Wilson
Munira Wilson

The body would “pay any costs above £25,000, with funding determined by the child’s current needs and not by historic council spend”.

It would also act as a “champion for the child, promote inclusive practice and ensure that SEND funding is spent as effectively as possible to support the child”.

No further details of the policies have been announced. They are expected to be fleshed out and costed in the Lib Dems’ election manifesto.

It comes after education spokesperson Munira Wilson announced yesterday the party would hand schools and colleges £390 million a year to offer small group tutoring to pupils most struggling with their learning.

She also pledged an “end to the scandal of crumbling school buildings”, but again this policy has not yet been fleshed out.

The party has also previously confirmed it would extend universal free school meals to all primary pupils and all secondary pupils from families claiming universal credit. It has also said it will put a mental health professional in every school.

Latest education roles from

IT Technician

IT Technician

Harris Academy Morden

Teacher of Geography

Teacher of Geography

Harris Academy Orpington

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Exams Assistant

Exams Assistant

Richmond and Hillcroft Adult & Community College

Lecturer Electrical Installation

Lecturer Electrical Installation

Solihull College and University Centre

Sponsored posts

Sponsored post

It’s Education’s Time to Shine: Celebrate your Education Community in 2025!

The deadline is approaching to nominate a colleague, team, whole school or college for the 2025 Pearson National Teaching...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Navigating NPQ Funding Cuts: An Apprenticeship Success Story

Last year’s NPQ funding cuts meant that half of England’s teachers faced costs of up to £4,000 to complete...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Embedding Formative Assessment: not just a box-ticking exercise but something long-term and meaningful for all

Our EFA programme has been proven to help schools achieve better GCSE results, as evidenced by the EEF. Find...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Building capacity in family support to tackle low school attendance 

Persistent and severe school absence impacts children, families, and communities—especially in disadvantaged areas. School-Home Support’s Attendance Support and Development Programme...

SWAdvertorial

More from this theme

SEND

Half of councils face insolvency over £5bn SEND deficit ticking timebomb

Survey of councils suggests over half will fail to break even if a measure keeping deficits off their books...

Freddie Whittaker
SEND

Absent and excluded kids ‘should be assessed for SEND’

EPI report sets out 7 policy recommendations to tackle special needs 'postcode lottery'

Lydia Chantler-Hicks
SEND

Revealed: The experts appointed to SEND inclusion panels

The government has appointed a team of experts to evaluate how to make mainstream schools more inclusive

Lydia Chantler-Hicks
SEND

‘Umbrella’ SEND label is ‘misleading’, says inclusion tsar

The government’s inclusion tsar believes 'a lot of what we categorise as ‘special’ is normal and predictable'

Lydia Chantler-Hicks

Your thoughts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *