revealed how councils will be given top marks if their SEND deficit proposals include \u201clittle to no\u201d plans to increase capacity in these schools.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nMinisters will sign off local SEND reform plans in the coming months, which in turn will release government cash to plug 90 per cent of their deficits up to April this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Special schools over capacity by 11,000 pupils<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Although the government strongly recommended that councils used previous high needs capital funding to invest in mainstream provision, they have favoured expanding special schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Special Need Jungle research found that just a third of new places created by last year\u2019s \u00a3740 million grant would be created in SEN units or resourced provision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It comes amid a capacity crisis in special schools, with 11,000 more pupils on roll than they had room for last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Harnden said it was important for councils to have \u201ca degree of agency\u201d to ensure \u201cthat funds are spent in the best interests of communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The MOU states that it \u201cformalises the partnership\u201d between councils and the DfE to \u201cfacilitate efficient use\u201d of the funding, but it does not alter statutory duties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It also states that an overall strategy for the investment should support \u201cinclusion at the core of high needs sufficiency strategy, resulting in more children and young people with SEND accessing suitable places in mainstream\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Special places must be ‘sufficient’<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Other outcomes include that every pupil who needs a place in an inclusion base can access one, and that fewer need to travel a long way to access a placement. It should also improve suitability of the mainstream estate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The last point states that there should \u201cbe sufficient\u201d special and AP places for pupils \u201cwith the most complex needs, where these needs require a distinctive offer which only special or AP settings can deliver\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pauline Aitchison, chair of the National Network of Special Schools, said the MOU \u201cclearly prioritises investment in mainstream inclusion, but it risks placing further barriers in the way of expanding specialist provision at a time when demand is rising rapidly\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Andre Imich, former DfE SEND adviser, said the department is \u201caiming to strengthen its direction of the use of their grant\u201d and increasing external accountability and scrutiny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHowever, in the short-term, the absence of any changes to the statutory framework, and the lack of clarity as to which types of need are defined as \u2018complex\u2019, mean the full ambition set out in the DfE MoU will remain a significant challenge across the country.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Town halls will be required to sign a new ‘memorandum of understanding’ on how to spend \u00a3860m of high needs capital cash<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":311127,"featured_media":243845,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[62],"post-theme":[2354],"class_list":["post-243866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-send","post-theme-inclusion"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t
![\"Julia](\"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Julia-Harnden-inset-400px.jpg\")