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Written question asked by Nadia Whittome (Labour) on Monday, 6 July 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 9 July 2026 (named day). It was answered by Georgia Gould (Labour) on Tuesday, 28 July 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Special Educational Needs: Finance

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding and capacity in mainstream schools for children and young people with SEND; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that mainstream schools have the resources required to deliver high-quality SEND provision.

Answer

Mainstream school funding is increasing by 2.6% per pupil in the 2026/27 financial year compared to 2025/26. On top of this increase, mainstream schools will be receiving an additional £522 million to support them with overall costs, including the costs of staff pay awards.

Furthermore, to reverse the trend of late intervention and escalation in special educational needs and disabilities, the department is providing an additional £4 billion over this year and the next two years. This includes:

  • The Inclusive Mainstream Fund, providing £1.6 billion for schools, colleges and early years settings to prepare and deliver improved inclusive practice, with over £500 million per year allocated to helping settings strengthen their inclusive offer.
  • Providing £1.8 billion over the three years for local authorities to work in partnership with integrated care boards to develop and deliver a new ‘Experts at Hand’ offer, granting mainstream settings increased access to expert advice and support from educational and health professionals.
  • Investing £200 million of new funding in a new training package to ensure that every teacher, educator, teaching assistant, and leaders across early years, schools and post-16 is trained and confident in supporting pupils with special educational needs.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
16101
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Finance Special educational needs
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk