Issue

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

59 stories · discussed at 43 council meetings · 29 councils

Councils are addressing significant financial pressures and implementing reforms to improve support for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

Several councils are reporting significant financial pressures related to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), which refers to additional support for children with learning difficulties or disabilities. Greenwich Council faced an £18.1 million schools funding shortfall in September 2026, largely from the High Needs Block. Redbridge Council projected a £17.352 million overspend on its Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) in September 2026, driven by increasing demand and complexity of needs. Havering Council faced an estimated £45 million DSG overspend in September 2026, with Barnet Council facing a £13.3 million DSG deficit in July 2026.

In response, councils are advancing SEND reform plans. Islington Council committed £1.56 million to its SEND reforms for 2026-27, funding initiatives like 'Experts at Hand' and workforce development. Kingston upon Thames unified its SEND Reform Plan and SEND Futures Plan into a single strategic document, scheduled to launch in October 2026. Lambeth Council unveiled a three-year SEND Reform Plan in September 2026, focusing on the Experts at Hand model, inclusion bases, and Social, Emotional, and Mental Health support. Harrow's Cabinet endorsed its SEND Reform Plan 2026-2029 in July 2026.

Other challenges include a persistent attendance gap for vulnerable pupils, including those with SEND, reported by Islington Council in October 2026. Kingston schools faced a recruitment crisis for educational psychologists and occupational therapists in September 2026, hindering support. Sutton's SEND services received priority action in September 2026 following an Ofsted and CQC review that identified delays in accessing specialist assessment. Looking ahead, the Greenwich Schools Forum will meet on October 7, 2026, and the Enfield Healthy and Safe Communities Scrutiny Panel on October 12, 2026, to discuss SEND.

Key facts

  1. Islington Council committed £1.56 million to its SEND reforms for 2026-27. Source
  2. Greenwich Council faced an £18.1 million schools funding shortfall in September 2026. Source
  3. Redbridge Council projected a £17.352 million overspend on its Dedicated Schools Grant in September 2026. Source
  4. Kingston upon Thames' unified SEND plan was scheduled to launch at a conference on October 15, 2026. Source
  5. Sutton's SEND services received priority action in September 2026 following an Ofsted and CQC review. 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 3 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Email community@opencouncil.network.

Stories, page 7

  1. Richmond Council Faces £5M Education Overspend Richmond Council is facing financial strain in its education budget, with forecasts indicating a £5 million overspend in the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), leading to a... Richmond upon Thames 17 November 2025
  2. Lewisham Youth Services Redesigned After Youth First Insourcing Lewisham Council has redesigned its youth services following the insourcing of commissioned youth provision, previously delivered by Youth First, on 1 April 2025. The changes,... Lewisham 8 November 2025
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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