Northumberland sees a sharp rise in SEND figures, raising concerns about future educational needs and funding challenges for local authorities
Northumberland: The number of kids needing special education support has skyrocketed. From 2017 to 2024, the count of pupils with Education and Healthcare Plans jumped from 1,679 to 3,427. That’s a whopping 104% increase!
While this trend is happening nationwide, Northumberland’s rise is even steeper. At a recent council meeting, officials expressed concerns that these numbers will keep climbing.
Sue Aviston, who heads the schools organization, mentioned that the system is under serious strain. They’ve added 600 special school places over the last decade, but it’s still not enough.
She pointed out that they expect an 18% annual increase in kids with autism and a 19% rise in those needing support for social and emotional issues. If this keeps up, they’ll need an additional 1,700 places by 2028!
On top of that, the costs are piling up. The council leader, Glen Sanderson, warned that spending on care for both adults and children has hit an unsustainable level, with an extra £50 million spent over the last five years.
School transport costs have also surged, jumping from £5.57 million in 2019 to over £11 million this year. Cllr Trevor Thorne raised concerns about why these numbers are climbing so fast.
Ms. Aviston explained that it’s a complicated issue. Better early diagnosis and schools identifying needs sooner are part of the picture. Education director David Street added that this trend is being seen across the country, prompting a national inquiry.
