Walsall Council’s promise to SEND kids as funding approved
Cabinet members at Walsall Council have approved the continuation of its Local High Needs Funding Formula for the 2025/26 financial year.
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Portfolio holder for education and skills, Pardeep Kaur, assured that there would be no upcoming cuts to special schools allocations.
There is a ‘minimum funding guarantee’ where no special school will receive less funding per pupil than they did in the previous year.
In Walsall, growth in EHCP requests and complexity of need have outweighed the annual increase in funding.
Since 2014, Walsall’s High Needs allocation has risen by £30 million.
However, with the number of EHCPs increasing from 1,200 to over 4,700 during the same period, this equates to a real-term reduction of 45 percent.
In December 2024 the government announced plans to reform the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system, with further detail on the reform to be provided this year.
Councillor Kaur said: “The current approach is developed through the collaboration with school and SEND officers and ensures there’s a fair, child centred allocation of resources for children with SEN and disabilities.
“Although there are financial pressures for the increased demand in high need and support, Walsall has implemented a robust Dedicated Schools Grant to manage these challenges.
“This plan continues to assure the resources are directed efficiently to meet the needs and demands in SEND support.
“The council remains committed to reducing inequalities ensuring every single child has access to the support they need in order to thrive.
“The child friendly borough remains equitable, transparent and responsive to evolving needs as they come along.”
