Funding rise for SEND children in Hertfordshire's schools not sufficient to cover mounting ‘high needs’ costs

But the increase in funding will not be sufficient to cover the mounting ‘high needs’ costs facing the county’s schools.

The latest additional funding allocated for ‘high needs’ in the county is Hertfordshire’s share of a £1bn funding package, announced in the Autumn Statement last year (2024).

And it was highlighted at a meeting of the Hertfordshire Schools Forum on Wednesday (June 25).

At that meeting headteachers heard that this additional tranche of funding had been allocated on a formula that had excluded the ‘historic spending factor’.

And whereas last year (2024/5) per pupil ‘high needs’ funding in Hertfordshire ranked as the fourth lowest in the country, this meant that – following this latest allocation – the authority would rank ninth lowest.

Hertfordshire officials have repeatedly argued that the inclusion of the ‘historic spending factor’ “skews” the high needs allocation that the county receives – so it does not receive as much as other authorities.

And at the meeting head of finance Rachael Adler had estimated that if high needs block funding was allocated solely on ‘need’ the county would rank even higher – as the 25th lowest, rather than 9th.

Last year education and health officials highlighted the challenges of SEND funding to MPS, in advance of the Autumn Statement.

They called for a revision of the national funding formula for high needs, that they argued was “unequally distributed based on an outdated formula which is not keeping pace with current need”.

And at the meeting of the forum on Wednesday deputy executive member for education SEND and inclusion Cllr Hillary Skoczylas vowed that lobbying would continue.

“This is still nowhere near what Hertfordshire needs or deserves,” she said. “As the new administration, we will continue to lobby on this.”

Outlining the council’s share of the additional funding, a written report presented to the Forum also made a commitment to make further representations to government.

“The HNB [high needs block] allocation for Hertfordshire continues to be challenging, despite extensive representations to the DfE and central government,” it says.

“Our funding per head of relevant population has been in the bottom five typically out of 151 local authorities, although with the allocation of the additional £1bn funding announced in the Autumn statement via funding formula excluding the historic spending factor, Hertfordshire has moved to 9th lowest per head (0-18 population) for 2025/26.

“Representations will continue to be made both directly to the DfE and central government, together with via various national bodies we engage with.

“Whilst a number of parliamentary debates have taken place, recognising the need for change to the approach to the High Needs funding formula, there has yet to be any proposals brought forward to consult on its change.”

The reference to the high needs allocation was included in a ‘Dedicated Schools Grant budget strategy report 26/27’.

• MEANWHILE data presented to the Hertfordshire Schools Forum showed that in 2024/5 there was a ‘high needs’ overspend.

According to the budget the allocation to ‘high needs block’ funding was around £153m.

But at the end of th financial year the spend had topped £167m – resulting in an overspend of £14.4m.

According to the report, £4.39m of the overspend was in maintained special schools, reflecting 102 additional places and additional support costs.

There was, it says, an overspend of £3.94m in post-16 where there was an increase in the average cost per place, as well as increases in cost of Education Otherwise Than At School (EOTAS) and Alternative Provision (AP).

It also included an overspend of £3.62m in high needs funding in mainstream, with “a higher number of plans than budgeted” and at a higher level.

And it highlights an overspend of £1.87m for interim provision and £600k for independent special schools, where it was reported there was actually a “lower than forecast increase in the number of children in independent special schools”.