Oxfordshire County Council is taking significant steps to address the growing funding gap in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision. The authority has promised to create 240 additional state-funded special school places. They are but a whisker from producing an immediate plan for at least 100 more ASAP. This project aims to reduce the dependence on costly private specialized schools. To that end, the council is able to focus greater resources on ensuring better educational opportunities within general education environments.
The decision is announced, after local leaders have shared their fears about the financial pressures continuing to be felt by the council. Paul James, chief executive of the River Learning Trust, which runs 31 schools across Oxfordshire and Swindon, is responsible for the chief exec model. He goes on to stress that effective leadership is key to successfully mainstreaming SEND children.
“Children only get one go with their education,” Paul James stated, highlighting the urgency of providing adequate educational opportunities for all children. He’s convinced that inclusive excellence requires robust leadership from the top. Brown is right to have called for more money for direct services in mainstream schools as part of making “inclusive leadership and teaching” a reality.
It costs £60,000 a year to educate a child in an alternative mainstream setting. By comparison, a state-funded special school usually costs just over £24,000 per pupil. Councillor Sean Gaul, the new cabinet member for children’s services at Oxfordshire County Council, goes on the offensive. He has called upon government to address the growing deficit in SEND funding.
The government is really clear that they’ve invested more in special educational needs year on year, but it doesn’t reflect the actual costs per pupil funding, so that gap has grown, Paul James explained. He implored the need for a shared responsibility among stakeholders to tackle this challenge in a holistic manner.
Councillor Gaul echoed these sentiments, stating, “We need government to come forward with a plan about how we’re going to address the deficit. Allowing it to build up in an override account, without anybody being clear about who is going to cover this, is not an answer.” His remarks underscore the importance of a timely solution to that urgent need. Secondly, we need to make certain that funding genuinely matches the needs for SEND provision.
The recent monitoring inspection judged Oxfordshire County Council’s actions regarding SEND as “effective,” indicating progress in improving educational provisions for children with special needs. Both James and Gaul recognize that more must be done to fortify mainstream schooling and reduce reliance on private institutions.
The River Learning Trust’s commitment to providing more inclusive education aligns with the council’s objectives. They work tirelessly within the framework to help SEND children thrive within mainstream settings. Simultaneously, they are on the ground advocating for significant funding reforms to be adopted.
