(UK) Northumb: Council faces demand for SPED increased by 92%
- The end of childhood
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Nov 19, 2025, Northumberland Cty Council: Leader calls for Special Educational Needs funding reform
The Leader of the Council has written to the Government calling for increased Special Educational Needs (SEND) funding, describing the current position as ‘unsustainable’.
Cllr Sanderson said: “I’m acutely aware of the increasing pressures faced by all councils and in past four years alone, the demand for SEND provision in Northumberland has increased by 92%, with funding only increasing by 16%.
“Despite this our teams have delivered more than 4,000 SEND plans across the county and our Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP) with 20-week completion rates are now 30% above national averages.
“So while we are doing everything we can to support and provide the best service we can to our young people and their families, this position in unsustainable.
"I have personally listened to parents who have struggled through a statutory system which is woefully underfunded and no longer fit-for-purpose. Many feel stuck in a process of appeals and tribunals when they simply want to secure the education support their children badly need.”
In his letter to the Secretary of State for Education Cllr Sanderson urged her to make the case to Treasury for additional SEND funding, as well as bringing forward a reform of the SEND system.
Cllr Sanderson added: “We stand ready to work in partnership with Government and parents to co-create a fit-for-purpose system that works for the people that matter most - families.”
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