Greenwich faces a significant projected overspend of £7.29m in its High Needs Block (HNB), which funds support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This overspend, driven by increased demand for Education Health Care Plans (EHCPs) and high demand for SEN support, is a key factor contributing to an overall deficit within the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), netting £7.03m.

The figures were presented at the Schools Forum meeting on Wednesday, 17 December 2025, where members were asked to note the current financial position and discuss potential strategies to address the growing pressures on SEND funding. The 2025-26 DSG High Needs Block Update HNB report highlights that the key risk is the DSG overspend by the end of 2025-26, which will directly impact the General Fund.

As of January 2025, the number of children and young people with EHCPs has risen dramatically over the past five years. Greenwich has seen a 75% increase in EHCPs since January 2021, with an 18% increase in just the past reporting year. This is a greater rate of increase than seen at the London (49%) and England (37%) level over the same period.

|                             | EHCP Trend in RBG by age band |
|-----------------------------|-------------------------------|
|                             | Jan-21  | Jan-25 |
| Total                       | 1,858   | 3,244  |

To address the growing demand for specialist places, the council is planning to open a new SEND all-through free school, Rowan Wood, at Hargood Road SE3. The secondary and sixth-form phase is expected to be operational in the 2025/26 academic year. The council is also proposing to use the former Gallions Mount Primary School site on Purrett Road SE18 for the development of the primary phase of Rowan Wood School. The revised delivery date for the primary phase is now September 2029. The original target date was September 2026, but this is no longer feasible. These plans were outlined in the School Place Planning and Capital Programme 2025 26 - 2027 28 report.