(UK) Rotherham: Council facing $7.4M SPED deficit

Mar 24, 2026, The Star: Rotherham’s special educational needs budget faces £5.5m shortfall [$7.4M]

Rotherham’s budget for supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is facing a projected shortfall of more than £5.5m [$7.4M] next year, a new report has revealed.

A paper going before Rotherham Schools’ Forum on 27 March sets out the council’s proposed High Needs Budget for 2026/27, covering funding for specialist school places, top-up support in mainstream schools, alternative provision and SEND services.

Rotherham’s budget for supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is facing a projected shortfall of more than £5.5m next year, a new report has revealed.

The report says total spending is expected to reach £58.08m [$78M[ next year, compared with available funding of £52.55m, leaving a planned deficit of £5.526m.

Council officers say demand for SEND support continues to rise, alongside wider financial pressures. The report highlights increasing numbers of children with education, health and care plans (EHCPs), as well as growing costs linked to specialist placements and inflation.

Spending on local special schools is set to rise from a forecast £18.279m [$25M] this year to £21.821m[$29M] in 2026/27. Funding for independent special schools is also expected to increase, from £8.643m [$12M] to £9.344m [$13M].

Mainstream schools are expected to receive £9.98m [$13M] in top-up support for pupils with EHCPs, while alternative provision, including the Aspire Pupil Referral Unit, is budgeted at £4.624m.

The report also proposes, for the first time, that support for early years children with high-level complex needs and EHCPs should be paid from the High Needs Block, at a cost of £235,000 [$315K].

Despite the funding increase from government, officers say pressures remain significant. Rotherham’s total High Needs Block allocation will rise to £66.989m [$90M] before adjustments, but much of that increase reflects grants being rolled into the main funding settlement rather than new money.

The council’s accumulated Dedicated Schools Grant deficit is now forecast to reach £8.156m [$11M] by the end of 2026/27.

Schools’ Forum members are being asked to note the funding settlement and the proposed SEND spending plans for the year ahead.