Commenting on the Institute for Fiscal Studies report describing the system of funding for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) as ‘broken’, Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
"This report is right to highlight the enormous gulf between Government spending on SEND in recent years, and the amount needed to meet actual and growing demand. The £1 billion that was invested in Rachel Reeves' first budget is a third of what the IFS predicts will be the rising costs to 2027. The scale of unmet need is already enormous.
"We agree that fundamental changes to the education system are urgently required. Previous governments have cut to the bone the ability of schools and local authorities to deliver for SEND children. Change will not come cheap, and sticking plasters will not do. There needs to be a significant investment in SEND to achieve bold change, and quickly make a difference for the many young people affected.”