Education leaders in the North East and Cumbria have warned that the shortage of special needs education places has reached “crisis” levels, urging for additional investment to address the growing demand.
The Prosper Learning Trust, which operates specialist and alternative provision schools, stated that a surge in applications was placing significant strain on resources.
Chris Richardson, the trust’s chief executive, described the system as “chronically underfunded” and highlighted that schools were facing long waiting lists.
In response, Education Secretary and Labour MP for Houghton and Sunderland South, Bridget Phillipson, reassured BBC Politics North that the government was working on improvements to the system.
Richardson stressed the severity of the issue, saying, “The system has been described as a crisis, and I don’t think that’s an exaggeration. There are simply more young people needing support than there are places available.”
In Cumbria, Melanie Askew shared her distress after her four-year-old daughter, who has autism, was unable to secure a place at a local special school. She said, “All you want is for your child to be safe, happy, and to receive the education they deserve.”
Elaine Lynch, Labour’s Executive Member for Lifelong Learning at Cumberland Council, acknowledged the rising demand and said the council had increased its spending to address the issue. However, she also sympathized with families who were unable to get their children into the schools they wanted. “In these situations, we try to provide specialist help and support within mainstream schools,” she explained.
Paul Rickeard, chief executive of the Durham and Newcastle Diocesan Learning Trust, which oversees local primary schools, also raised concerns. He stated that the growing need for extra classroom support was affecting mainstream schools. “We are doing everything we can, using our reserves where possible, but there is only so much money to go around.”
Phillipson, the Education Secretary, confirmed that steps had been taken in the latest Budget to increase funding for specialist provision. She added, “In addition, we will need to reform the system to ensure better outcomes for children, as children with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) are not currently getting the experience they deserve.”
