Issue

special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)

57 stories · discussed at 40 council meetings · 29 councils

Councils are grappling with significant financial pressures from special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services while implementing new reform plans.

Greenwich Council faces an £18.1 million schools funding shortfall, primarily from the High Needs Block, as discussed at a Cabinet meeting in September 2026. Redbridge Council projects a £17.352 million overspend on its Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) for 2026/27, reported to Cabinet in September 2026, driven by increasing demand for SEND. Havering Council faces an estimated £45 million overspend in its DSG, mainly in the High Needs Block, as reported to Cabinet in September 2026.

Kingston upon Thames is unifying its SEND Reform Plan and SEND Futures Plan into a single strategic document, with the updated plan scheduled to launch in October 2026. Kingston schools are also facing a recruitment crisis for educational psychologists and occupational therapists, highlighted at a Schools Forum meeting in September 2026. Sutton's SEND services require priority action following an Ofsted and CQC review in September 2026, which identified issues with dysphagia pathways.

Lambeth Council is implementing a three-year SEND Reform Plan, discussed at a Children's Services Scrutiny Sub-Committee meeting in September 2026. Harrow's Cabinet endorsed its SEND Reform Plan 2026-2029 in July 2026, and Lewisham submitted its Local SEND Reform Plan to the Secretary of State in June 2026. Greenwich's Schools Forum is scheduled to meet on October 7, 2026, where SEND funding issues may be discussed.

Key facts

  1. Kingston's updated SEND Futures Plan is scheduled to launch at a conference on October 15, 2026. Source
  2. Greenwich Council faces an £18.1 million schools funding shortfall, primarily from the High Needs Block, as of September 2026. Source
  3. Redbridge Council projects a £17.352 million overspend on its Dedicated Schools Grant for the 2026/27 financial year. Source
  4. Havering Council faces an estimated £45 million overspend in its Dedicated Schools Grant, mainly in the High Needs Block. Source
  5. Kingston's SEND Futures Plan saw 72% of annual review decisions made within four weeks in September 2026, up from 57% in 2025. Source
About this summary

This summary was written automatically from our published stories and the council meeting records they draw on, with background from Wikipedia. It describes what councils have discussed and decided; it does not take a view on any decision. Each key fact links to the story it comes from. Updated 30 September 2026. Spotted a mistake? Email community@opencouncil.network.

Stories, page 7

  1. Southwark Council Rejects Funding for EHCP Assessments in Schools, Citing Local Authority Responsibility and Anticipated Government Reforms Southwark Council has decided against allocating immediate funding for Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) needs assessments within schools. This decision comes despite a... Southwark 10 October 2025
  2. Southwark Council to Launch Training Program for Parents of Children with Autism and ADHD Southwark Council is set to launch a new training programme for parents and carers of children with autism and ADHD. The initiative follows a review of Education, Health and... Southwark 10 October 2025
  3. Camden Schools Face £8.45M Overspend on Special Needs, Mitigation Strategy Considered Camden schools are facing a significant financial challenge, with a projected £8.45 million overspend on special needs provisions for the 2025/26 academic year. This overspend... Camden 22 September 2025
  4. Waltham Forest faces £31.4M budget overspend Waltham Forest is grappling with a significant budget overspend of £31.4 million, according to a recent report presented to the Budget Scrutiny Committee. Like many other local... Waltham Forest 8 September 2025
  5. Hillingdon sees improvement in SEND support, lowers EHCP growth Hillingdon has seen a significant improvement in its support for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), according to a recent update presented to the... Hillingdon 3 August 2025
  6. Odessa Infant School Faces Closure Due to Budget Deficit Newham's Odessa Infant School is facing potential closure due to a growing budget deficit, prompting a proposal to amalgamate it with the neighbouring St James' Junior School.... Newham 1 August 2025
  7. Greenwich Council Faces £8.87M Deficit in Dedicated Schools Grant, Submits Recovery Plan Greenwich Council's Schools Forum has reported an £8.87 million deficit in the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) as of 31 March 2025. The forum met on Wednesday 16 July 2025 to... Greenwich 20 July 2025
  8. Bromley Schools Face £7.3M Overspend, SEN Costs a Key Driver Bromley schools are facing a significant financial challenge, with a projected £7.3 million overspend, primarily driven by the rising costs of special educational needs (SEN).... Bromley 17 July 2025