London, UK – Activists and teachers are warning the government not to slash funding and reform proposals for children with special educational needs (SEN), a step they assert will destabilise the precarious system that supports almost one in every five schoolchildren. Fears have heightened as the expense of delivering tailored help rockets during increased demand and declining local resources.
Drastic Increase in SEN Needs
Based on the most recent statistics from England, almost 20% of children in schools are now SEN-needs, while about 5% have Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), a legally enforceable right that necessitates local councils to offer specialized services.
There are twice as many EHCPs today as there were ten years ago, at 482,640, and a further 11% increase in the past year alone, a rise that councils claim they cannot maintain.
While more money has been pumped in, well over £1 billion of high-needs funding allocated in recent budgets, councils threaten impending fiscal insolvency when temporary measures expire in March 2026.
A Financially Unsustainable Model
Transport costs alone for EHCP pupils amount to a daily cost of £12 million, adding up to a forecasted £8 billion special needs funding black hole by 2027. While high-needs support spending has increased by 60%, per-pupil funding in real terms fell by about a third in a decade.
The system means 98% of SEN appeals for funding succeed when councils deny EHCPs, citing entrenched inefficiencies.
Government’s Proposed Reforms
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has accepted the system is “on the brink of collapse” and promised a radical overhaul. Among her proposals are:
Increased SEN children integration into mainstream schools, with increased on-site support.
Increases in funding to increase in-school SEN provision and decrease reliance on expensive private placements.
Review of specialist resource bases, along the lines of schemes operated in London’s Barking & Dagenham and elsewhere.
A future White Paper and call for evidence by Tom Rees to streamline EHCP processes and reduce waiting times.
The reforms are intended to reduce the necessity for statutory EHCPs, accelerate access to support, and prevent legal battles about provisions.
Concerned Voices
Local Councils indicate that despite extra funding, many are experiencing budget collapses. One council insider cautioned that if long-term funding options are not developed, crucial support services will be decimated.
Advocacy groups and family voices stress that advocating for mainstreaming should not come at the expense of specialist care. Pepe Di’Iasio of the Association of School and College Leaders noted on Reddit:
“This would entail ensuring that mainstream schools have the funding necessary to provide more support… where there are often shortages”.
He emphasized the essential role of psychologists, speech therapists, and early intervention to prevent needs from escalating.
International & Local Responses
Enrolment of public special schools has increased almost 25% in Queensland, Australia since 2020, compelling state spending of $70 million on current schools and new facilities. The steps follow England’s plight, signalling increasing worldwide demand for special needs service.
Connecticut, USA, will open a regional special education school with the capacity to cater to several districts—a bid to curb out-of-district placement expenses and increase support locally.
Balancing Inclusion with Support
The mainstreaming of children with SEN into mainstream classrooms by the government hinges mostly on the provision of increased teaching support and resources. But this depends on:
More SEN-qualified teachers, who are in short supply, being recruited and trained.
Guaranteeing schools have available multidisciplinary professionals like psychologists, occupational therapists, and speech specialists.
Ensuring that legal systems such as EHCPs are still enforceable and available to families.
Local education officials caution that hurrying mainstream placement without these safeguards would result in improper placements, misbehavior, and eventually educational failure.
What’s Next
With all-out lobbying in motion, the government is at a turning point:
White Paper due later this year will outline precise strategies on SEN integration and support.
Budget announcements prior to March 2026 must fill funding gaps or face council insolvency.
Pilot schemes in specialist units and mainstream schools will yield evidence of what works best.
With hundreds of thousands of children dependent on EHCPs, or mainstream provision – the problem cuts across budget lines: it is a measure of public values. Campaigners demand solutions that leave in place legal safeguards, ensure multi-disciplinary support, and ensure quality outcomes, irrespective of school setting.
As reforms are implemented, the challenge will be to strike a balance between inclusion and customized care so that children with special educational needs are able to flourish, not merely survive, in school.
