Recent analysis of education funding trends in England shows that over half of the increase in school funding over the past decade has gone towards supporting pupils with special educational needs (SEN)​ –  reshaping how budgets are allocated and how schools plan for the future.

Funding for ​S​EN needs has grown sharply due to rising numbers of children identified as requiring additional support​, which was in turn sparked by parents being able to request evaluations.

While overall school budgets have increased in recent years, the substantial allocation to SEN means less flexibility for other areas. Core per-pupil funding outside of SEN support has grown much more slowly, squeezing mainstream classroom resources and extracurricular provision.

This trend highlights two key challenges for the UK education system:

• Meeting rising demand – Schools and local authorities are under pressure to deliver tailored support for an increasing number of pupils with ​SEN needs.​   The government has suggested that they are going to remove the right of parents to self-request SEN evaluation.
• Balancing equity and sustainability – ​ With limited funding available there is a difficult debate over how to maintain high-quality mainstream education while ensuring fair, effective SEN provision.