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Special Educational Needs

Volume 448: debated on Thursday 6 July 2006

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much of the recent increase in local authority spending on special educational needs provision is being used to pay for out-of-authority placements for pupils because of the lack of suitable provision locally. (81438)

The information is not available in the requested format. The following table shows how much of the total planned net expenditure on the provision of education for children with special educational needs, local authorities have budgeted for fees for pupils at independent special schools and abroad.

The Education (Budget Statements) (England) Regulations. Budgeted net expenditure on the provision of education for children with special educational needs1,2,3 since 2000-01. Cash terms figures4 as reported by local authorities5 as at 28 June 2006

£

Budgeted net expenditure on the provision of education for children with special educational needs1,2

Of which: Budgeted net expenditure on fees for pupils at independent special schools and abroad3

2000-01

2,763,226,000

287,821,000

2001-02

2,908,380,000

305,782,000

2002-03

3,038,661,000

309,646,000

2003-04

3,466,180,000

394,609,000

2004-05

3,774,757,000

441,977,000

2005-06

4,120,549,000

481,127,000

2006-075

4,466,690,000

507,133,000

1 Includes planned expenditure on the provision for pupils with statements and the provision for non-statemented pupils with SEN, support for inclusion, inter authority recoupment, fees for pupils at independent special schools and abroad, educational psychology service, local authority functions in relation to child protection, therapies and other health related services, parent partnership, guidance and information, the monitoring of SEN provision and inclusion administration, assessment and coordination. Also included is the funding delegated to nursery, primary and secondary schools identified as “notional SEN” and the individual schools budget (ISB) for special schools. Does not include any contribution to combined budgets or fees for pupils at independent schools for pupils without SEN.

2 The ISB for special schools will include some general education costs for pupils with SEN in addition to those costs specifically for SEN while the figures recorded against “notional SEN” are only indicative of the amount that might by spent by schools on SEN. From 2004-05 onwards “notional SEN” delegated to nursery schools was reported on section 52 for the first time and accounts for £7.8 million, £9.5 million and £10.2 million of the 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 totals respectively.

3 Includes all planned net expenditure on the payment of fees in respect of pupils with special educational needs at independent schools or non-maintained special schools.

4 Figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000.

5 2006-07 data are provisional and are therefore subject to change by the local authority.

Source:

The data are drawn from local authorities Section 52 Budget Statements (Tables 1 and 2) submitted to the DfES.