Support for pupils who have special needs is beyond crisis in England and sucking money from budgets for all children, according to this report by the National Association of Head Teachers. The research shows there has been an effective 13-year real-terms freeze in school funding, representing an unprecedented period of, at best, flat investment.
Nearly all schools (97%) responding to a survey by a head teachers' union said they received insufficient funding to support pupils who had special needs.
The National Association of Head Teachers says funding has to rise so all pupils can be supported to learn.
Funding for higher-level needs was rising 9.6% in 2022-23 and the Department for Education was providing £42m to projects for pupils who had special educational needs and disabilities (Send).
But the NAHT report, based on a survey of 1,500 head teachers, suggests nearly a third of schools have cut services in the past year.