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Special Educational Needs: Suffolk

Volume 472: debated on Wednesday 5 March 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children with special educational needs, resident in Suffolk, were educated outside the county in each year since 1997; and what the financial cost of this provision was to Suffolk County Council in each year. (187608)

Available figures for the number of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) resident in Suffolk, who attended schools maintained by other local authorities are given as follows:

Number of pupils with special educational needs

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

Resident in Suffolk LA

15,536

16,248

16,681

17,312

17,549

Attending schools maintained by Suffolk LA

15,193

16,061

16,474

17,120

17,312

Attending schools maintained by other LAs

343

187

207

192

237

Note:

SEN includes: School action; School action plus and statement of SEN

Source:

School Census

We are unable to provide equivalent information on the number of children with Special Educational Needs attending independent or non-maintained special schools.

Details of the planned expenditure by Suffolk local authority for pupils with special educational needs can be found on the following tables. The data are drawn from Suffolk local authority’s Section 52 budget statements submitted to the DCSF and the figures relate to all planned out of authority expenditure not just the expenditure on pupils attending schools maintained by other local authorities.

The Education (Budget Statements) (England) Regulations. Budgeted gross1 expenditure by Suffolk local authority on inter-authority recoupment2: 1999-2000 to 2007-083. Cash terms figures4 as reported by Suffolk local authority as at 28February 2008

Cash terms figures4

Budgeted gross1 expenditure on inter-authority recoupment2 (£)

1999-20003

100,000

2000-01

100,000

2001-02

100,000

2002-03

100,000

2003-04

100,000

2004-05

100,000

2005-06

103,000

2006-07

108,000

2007-08

110,000

1 As one authority’s expenditure on inter-authority recoupment will be another authority’s income, in order to show the amount of money budgeted by Suffolk local authority for the education of pupils with special educational needs outside of Suffolk LA the figures for inter-authority recoupment have been shown gross (i.e. any income which Suffolk LA receive from other authorities for educating their pupils with SEN within Suffolk has not been netted off from the expenditure).

2 Inter authority recoupment includes any estimated expenditure in relation to transactions between authorities in accordance with regulations made under sections 493 or 494 of the 1996 Act or section 207 of the 2002 Act (recoupment between authorities) for the education of pupils with special educational needs.

3 Figures are not available prior to the inception of Section 52 for the 1999-2000 financial year.

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

The Education (Budget Statements) (England) Regulations. Budgeted net expenditure by Suffolk local authority on fees for pupils at independent special schools and abroad1: 1999-2000 to 2007-081,2. Cash terms figures3 as reported by Suffolk local authority as at 7 January 2008

Cash terms figures3

Budgeted net expenditure on fees for pupils at independent special schools and abroad1 (£)

1999-20002

3,776,000

2000-01

3,794,000

2001-02

3,993,000

2002-03

4,051,000

2003-04

5,711,000

2004-05

6,078,000

2005-06

6,161,000

2006-07

6,390,000

2007-081

6,551,000

1 Includes estimated expenditure on the payment of fees in respect of pupils with special educational needs at independent schools or non-maintained special schools. The figures for 2007-08 also include any SEN payments to Academies for pupils with statements.

2 Figures are not available prior to the inception of Section 52 for the 1999-2000 financial year.

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