(UK) Surrey: 300 elem school principals speak out about 'CRISIS' in special ed
- The end of childhood
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Dec 12, 2025, BBC News: Primary schools complain about SEND provision
A group of headteachers representing over 300 primary schools across Surrey say "trust is diminishing" in the county council over its special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision.
SEND services in Surrey have come under scrutiny repeatedly in recent months and in July MPs described the provision as being in "crisis".
A letter to the government, signed by a number of headteachers, has flagged six key concerns and questioned the performance of Surrey County Council (SCC).
It reads: "We are not seeing many of the positive messages of support that the local authority are communicating about their support for children with SEND in our schools, and trust is diminishing."
Surrey County Council (SCC), which has been contacted for comment, has previously welcomed reform of the SEND system and made the case for additional funding.
Among the concerns expressed by the Primary Headteachers' Phase Council is a severe lack of funding for supporting children with complex needs.
"Current funding allocations do not reflect the true cost of providing appropriate support, leaving schools to divert resources from other areas," the letter reads.
The group also claims that there is a "critical shortage of specialist settings for children with high-level needs".
In terms of provision more broadly, in October SCC announced the creation of nearly 500 new specialist school places.
Furthermore, the headteachers feel that the Education, Health and and Care Plan (EHCP) process "lacks consistency across the local authority".
In September it was revealed that SCC was forced to pay £480,797 [$643K] in the 2024/25 financial year, with 93 percent of these payouts related to failures in processes for creating EHCP's.
The group say they have raised these issues with MPs and councillors over the last 18 months, with "little progress" seen in many areas.
"We see that it is the most vulnerable children in our schools who are being negatively impacted," they conclude.
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