Any extra money for SEND has already been spent
2. £1bn for SEND, but most will cover deficits
Of the £2.3 billion schools funding increase, £1 billion is for SEND and alternative provision. The Treasury said this was a 6 per cent real-terms increase.
Councils will have “discretion” on how they will spend the additional cash, but the Treasury predicts “it is very likely that they will use the funding to reduce their in-year deficit”.
The documents suggest it would clear £865 million from SEND deficits in 2025-26.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/budget-2024-most-of-1bn-send-injection-will-plug-deficits/
1. Four in 10 councils face bankruptcy over £4.9bn ticking timebomb deficit
NAO said four in 10 councils may be at risk of declaring effective bankruptcy if an accountancy immunity – known as a statutory override – ends in March 2026.
Since 2020, councils have been allowed to keep high needs deficits off their books. This was due to end in 2024, but was extended until 2026 because 10 councils would have effectively gone bankrupt overnight if they had to move their deficits back onto their balance sheets.
The cumulative deficit could be up to £4.9 billion when the override ends, DfE believes.
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/send-in-crisis-naos-8-damning-findings/
£1billion Government SEND funding 'not enough' to help the 1,800 children missing school in Surrey
https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/1billion-government-send-funding-not-30310006
Surrey County Council paid out £500,000 last year for repeatedly failing children and families
https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/surrey-county-council-paid-out-29273263
Surrey runs out of space for private school children
Local council has no vacancies for pupils in Year 9, 10 or 11 under Labour’s VAT raid
Forecasts show there are expected to be no vacancies for pupils in Year 9, 10 or 11 next September despite the Government’s own data suggesting 2,400 children in Surrey need spaces in state school as a result of its 20pc levy.
If the nearest available school is more than three miles away, the council must provide free transport to those who apply. If there is no public transport in place, they may have to pay for taxis to take children to school.
There are concerns that Labour’s VAT raid could result in councils racking up big bills for private school pupils to be taxied to school because of a lack of spaces in nearby state schools.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/tax/surrey-runs-out-space-private-school-children-forced-out/
It looks like Surrey will be paying out more in fines in 2025