Dorset: Residents were asked for comments on a proposal for 80 additional special needs places at a local school. 

There were enthusiastic responses.

This seems to be an excellent proposal and should be encouraged. …

I think this is an excellent idea. …

I heartily support the proposal to extend the work and the capacity of this much needed school. …

I think this is an admirable use of the old Wimborne First School, especially when these places are so badly needed. …

Hertfordshire: One local area in the county is running out of SPED funds.

Education chiefs in Hertfordshire are urgently looking at a locally-administered stream of special needs funding – after one area of the county ran out of funds in less than three months.

‘Delivering Special Provision Locally’ (DSPL) funding – amounting to around £1.5m [$2M U.S.] a year – is shared between nine areas of the county.

And now director of children’s services Jo Fisher is said to be leading ‘an urgent piece of work’ to look at what has happened – and whether there are similar issues with DSPL funding in other areas of the county….

Cllr Taylor acknowledged that this was a very specific stream of special educational needs funding.

But she said this was causing ‘great distress’ to the parents that are supported by it.

She said headteachers and nursery providers had been told in writing that the ‘money had run out’ – and that basically there was no more.

And she said those affected were finding it very difficult to see how they were going to get through the year without the additional provision….

Barnsley: This city in central England  has big problems with special ed and they expect this will continue.

A growing number of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), as well as out-of-borough placements, means that the council has an accumulated £11.7 million [$16M] deficit in its SEND budget this year – which is set to rise to £36.8m [$50M] by 2025.

There are currently 2,220 pupils in Barnsley with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) in place, which is forecast to rise to 2,457 by 2024/25.

The total spend for the councils’ high needs budget for 2021/22 is currently forecast at £31.2 million, and is estimated to increase to £35.9 million by 2024/25.

A report to be seen by Barnsley Council’s cabinet next week states that an increasing number of pupils requiring specialist support “continue to exert pressures on the high needs budget”.

The report states that a “significant cost driver” is the number of youngsters with school places outside of the borough – it was revealed in April that 220 children and young people from Barnsley have an out of borough school place, at a total cost of £11,233,061 [$15M].

“Like other local authorities, we are seeing an ongoing rise in demand for support for children and young people with SEND and those with Education and Health Care Plans.

Leeds: A secondary school is facing millions in overspend thanks to the cost of special ed.

…if no action is taken, the dedicated schools grant would overspend at a rate of between £6.8m and £8.1m [$9.3M and $11M] every year until 2027.

It added that most of the overspend came from the high needs block of school places, and that its funding deficit by the end of the 2021/22 municipal year is likely to be just under £5.5m.

This includes an overspend of £1.839m [$2.5M] in the current year, as well as a deficit of more than £3m [$4M] brought forward from 2020/21. This will be offset slightly by use of cash reserves….

“The majority of the overspend is on the high needs block and the council is currently reviewing the options available for managing this as required by the Department for Education.”

Bristol: The mayor has appointed a councillor to look into “Bristol’s growing crisis in Special Education Needs.”

Wiltshire: The local council has approved expanding a special school  to provide for 359 special  needs students.

We’re told it could cost up to $52M. The vote was unanimous.

 The headteacher said the curriculum will be ‘creative, exciting and diverse.’

Luton: There’s a new special needs secondary school for 120 students. 

It’s because of “the increased demand for secondary for children and young people with SEND.”

Kevin Latham, Chief Executive Office, Windmill Hill School, added: “We are both excited and privileged…

Cllr Aslam Khan, Portfolio Holder with responsibility for Education, said: “We are delighted to see the opening of Windmill Hill School, which will help to address the growing demand for secondary special school places in the town. ….

The town's three other special schools were full, so Windmill Hill School provides much-needed extra capacity in Luton.

London: More than a quarter of London schools are running out of funds. We’re told the government needs to do more, yet they’ve paid out billions in increased funds.

London schools are being hit by a funding crisis with more than a quarter of headteachers having to make cuts to balance their budgets, they have warned.

A poll of London schools found 28 per cent have made cuts this year and 35 per cent expect they will be forced to do the same next year. The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), which carried out the research, said the crisis is a result of 10 years of underfunding.

Funding for children with special educational needs has been particularly badly impacted by under-investment, schools said….

“We are at crisis point….”

Mr Whiteman added: “The Government needs to increase funding so that schools are able to properly meet the needs of all their pupils.”

The Department for Education said: “This Government is providing the biggest uplift to school funding in a decade — £14 billion [$19B] in total over the three years. This is a £7.1 billion [$9.7B] increase in funding for schools compared to 2019-20.”

Saddleworth: A new autism school officially opens in the town of 30,000.

Bedfordshire:  The council has run out of special education funds, or s they put it, they put it, “its special education needs and disabilities (SEND) provision had hit ‘rock bottom.’” …

In September, 52 children with special needs did not get a school place.

"We are at rock bottom, we have to keep going, we are doing the work we need to do and we will get there but it is going to take a little bit of time."…

Pembrokeshire: Recommendations to the local council include millions more for a school  for kids with “complex needs.”

It will also recommend investment of £18.2m [$25M] at the Neyland site of the Pembrokeshire Learning Centre, which provides education for pupils aged between 11 and 16 with complex needs…

On a brighter note, sensory rooms in schools are the rage in the U.K., just like in the U.S.  This is normal and acceptable too.

Barrow:

It is hoped that the room can be used to calm children who may be battling with their mental health in school, providing relief for those who use it.

 Acting Headteacher Jackie Rushton and Acting Assistant Headteacher Liam Reid have been 'delighted' with the results of the room.

They said: "We are delighted to open our new sensory room for our pupils who we know will enjoy the use of the new facility.

"The new sensory room is a much needed and welcomed addition to our school. I imagine all teachers will agree that the mental health of children in school is a day-to-day battle,…

This is the new norm in the U.K. press. The story from Barnsley had a chilling sentence that no one explained :

“Like other local authorities, we are seeing an ongoing rise in demand for support for children and young people with SEND and those with Education and Health Care Plans.

Ongoing?

Since I’ve been reporting on this ‘ongoing’ crisis since January, 2017, I’ve seen this same casual references to a ‘rise in demand’ everywhere in stories in England. There is never anything more about it. No one can tell us why so many kids have special needs, so they don’t bother.

“Growing need” and “increased demand for places” sound a lot better than saying that there are “more disabled children.” Someone would have to explain that.

I can promise you another update next week similar to what’s here and what’s been in the news for years in Britain. Reporters are old hands at it. It’s the same situation everywhere. Autism is a big part of it, but that doesn’t matter. We’re used to it.