End of term review: Reflecting on SEND funding promises in the Budget

At the end of October, the government announced its first Budget.  

Anna Freud responded to this in partnership with 90 other organisations across the children, young people and mental health sectors. We welcomed increased support for schools and NHS services but asked for more urgency on promises such as the rollout of Mental Health Support Teams and Youth Futures Hubs. 

Within the Budget detail however, I was particularly interested in a promised £1bn increase to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) funding - equivalent to a 6% funding rise.  

As a teacher, consultant psychotherapist and co-founder of The Pears Family School, I recognise the importance of this funding but am keen to share that ‘how’ money is used is just as important, in this final post of our three-part end-of-term education blogging series.  

For most impact, I believe we also need to see further development of Alternative Provision in line with the Department for Education Change Programme, improved mainstream provision through the training and development of teachers, better co-production and data collection, and a review of funding agreements to ensure that inclusion is both prioritised and incentivised. And finally - in line with our success at the Pears Family School – genuine partnerships with parents and carers also need to be embedded in schools to increase the benefits of any intervention and improve trust. 

Anna Freud and Alternative provision 

Anna Freud is a mental health charity and we’ve been supporting children and young people for over 70 years. Today, our work includes training, schools support, networks, partnerships, resources and one very special extra element – The Pears Family School. 

This school was developed 10 years ago to help tackle poor access to child mental health provision in education and increasing exclusion rates. These issues were later recognised in independent research commissioned by the Local Government Association and County Councils Network that labelled the SEND system in England as existing on a “tipping point”ⁱ in 2018 and subsequently at “breaking point”ⁱⁱ. Also at this time, the number of pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans rose by 71% (2018 to 2024). ⁱⁱⁱ 

Today, Anna Freud sponsors the school and the learning we build together is invaluable. From our work with parents and carers, we know that parental involvement in a child’s education can have a significant impact on learning, as well as wellbeing for the whole family.  

Our innovative Parents as Coaches for Progress programme covers a variety of wellbeing skills for both learning and mental health. We work in partnership with parents and carers of children at risk of falling through the gap between services with our unique integrated teaching and therapeutic curriculum. It has proven to be a positive solution to the post-pandemic rise in exclusions and emotionally-based school attendance problems. 

A tiered approach to AP

The Pears Family School model is just one support system in place within AP, as laid out in the Department for Education’s SEND and Alternative Provision Change Programme.  There are two other tiers of support that we also provide, including: 

• Outreach service into mainstream schools. We are working with the Olive Academies, in Essex, to train and support education staff to deliver wellbeing interventions as part of the daily curriculum. This has the ultimate aim of reducing the risk of exclusion. Training includes support to deliver our evidenced eight-week Parents as Coaches for Pupil Progress programme. 

• Short, time-limited Alternative Provision interventions for pupils in Multi-Academy Trusts. The CEO of the two mainstream schools we are sharing our Family School model with in Essex has praised our inputs: “Although this is a relatively small programme the impact has been significant on both teachers and families. We are already seeing progress in the classroom with improved attendance and no suspensions. This programme shows real potential in overcoming significant barriers to learning.” Parents are also seeing benefits with one saying: "I can so relate to this and can see that I am able to get something out of this, I can see so many other parents could benefit. We are in the same boat.” 

How new funding should be used 

Additional funding promised in the Budget is welcome. We’re happy, too, that ministers have committed to listen to and work with families to deliver reform, improve inclusivity in mainstream schools and ensure special schools are able to help those with the most complex needs.  

However, there is widespread acknowledgement that the current system isn’t working for too many families and that teaching staff are increasingly stressed. 

That’s why within the additional funding promised, we need to see further development of the AP model, and improved mainstream provision through training and development of teachers, as we’re conducting in Essex. Furthermore, mainstream schools are often unable to take on a child with special needs because the financial incentive provided is not sufficient to cover putting in place the right learning environment (for example, specialised training for staff). This is why we are keen to see a review of funding agreements and levels for government-funded places to ensure that all children’s needs can be met. 

If we are to bring about much-needed system change, research and innovation must also be supported. Experience at the innovative Pears Family School has demonstrated that a different approach can be successful to engage the most vulnerable children and deliver successful reintegration into full-time education. 

Parent and carer partnership should also not be ignored. Our outreach work in Essex shows that working together with parents and carers increases the benefits of any school-based intervention, can work towards reducing exclusions and improving trust between home and school.  

What next? 

Anna Freud remains committed to building a skilled and confident workforce with excellent leadership in mainstream, AP and SEND schools.  We will keep you up to date with our progress. In the meantime, education professionals can sign up to our Schools in Mind network to hear regularly about our updates, news, and opportunities for schools and colleges.  

Sign up for Schools in Mind

Read more about our work with the Pears Family School and check out our other blogs in this mini series: 

• What Ofsted changes mean for education staff  

• Our inputs into the Government’s curriculum review 

Sources

ⁱ Have we reached a ‘tipping point’? Trends in spending for children and young people with SEND in England | Local Government Association

ⁱⁱ Spending on special educational needs in England: something has to change | Institute for Fiscal Studies

ⁱⁱⁱ Spending on special educational needs in England: something has to change | Institute for Fiscal Studies