Recommendations & Conclusions
9 items
24
Recommendation
Twenty-First Report - School Funding
Deferred
In September 2019, the Department announced a review of the support system for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The review aimed to improve services for families who needed support, equip staff to respond effectively to children’s additional needs, and end the ‘postcode lottery’ that families often faced. …
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In September 2019, the Department announced a review of the support system for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The review aimed to improve services for families who needed support, equip staff to respond effectively to children’s additional needs, and end the ‘postcode lottery’ that families often faced. In May 2020, we concluded that many children with SEND were being failed by the support system, and recommended that the Department should, as a matter of urgency, complete and publish its SEND review.35
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Government response AI summary
The Department for Education has provided an update on the progress of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) review and plans to publish proposals for full public consultation, rather than immediately completing and publishing the review itself.
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HM Treasury
25
Conclusion
Twenty-First Report - School Funding
Deferred
In March 2021, the Department told us that it planned to publish a Green Paper towards the end of June 2021 with its proposals for improving SEND support.36 Consulting on proposals for change will be only the first step towards providing children and families with better services. Supporting the growing …
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In March 2021, the Department told us that it planned to publish a Green Paper towards the end of June 2021 with its proposals for improving SEND support.36 Consulting on proposals for change will be only the first step towards providing children and families with better services. Supporting the growing proportion of pupils with education, health and care plans is a significant cost pressure on mainstream schools.37 In its written evidence, the National Association of Head Teachers emphasised that the factors underpinning the growing demand on SEND funding, including a shortfall in funding of the health and social care sectors, were likely to continue for the foreseeable future, and that this situation required more than a review of how existing funding is distributed.38
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the issues around SEND support and funding, stating it has provided an update on the SEND review and plans to publish proposals for full public consultation to improve outcomes and value for money in the system.
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HM Treasury
26
Conclusion
Twenty-First Report - School Funding
Deferred
In July 2021, the Department wrote to tell us that it had decided it should take more time to ensure its reform plans could deliver the systemic change needed, noting that the COVID-19 pandemic had materially altered the context for reform. It said that it would use the additional time …
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In July 2021, the Department wrote to tell us that it had decided it should take more time to ensure its reform plans could deliver the systemic change needed, noting that the COVID-19 pandemic had materially altered the context for reform. It said that it would use the additional time to make certain its plans complemented the wider work being done on recovery and school reform, and that they had the longevity needed to offer stability to the sector.39
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Government response AI summary
The Department outlined progress on the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) review, confirming plans to publish proposals for a full public consultation, which will involve future input from stakeholders.
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HM Treasury
27
Conclusion
Twenty-First Report - School Funding
Deferred
The Department recognised that the review process was taking much longer than it had wanted, but explained that, as it had started to test its emerging proposals, the risk had become clear that the review would not be as effective as intended, because the early stages of the work had …
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The Department recognised that the review process was taking much longer than it had wanted, but explained that, as it had started to test its emerging proposals, the risk had become clear that the review would not be as effective as intended, because the early stages of the work had taken place before the impacts of the pandemic were clear. The Department had therefore decided that it would be appropriate to spend longer on the work to make sure that its conclusions and proposals were robust.40
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the ongoing SEND review and states it has provided an update on progress and plans for publication, committing to publish proposals for full public consultation to shape how the department meets its goals for SEND.
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HM Treasury
28
Conclusion
Twenty-First Report - School Funding
Deferred
The Department highlighted three key things that it was doing while it worked on the SEND review. First, it had increased high-needs funding by about £1.5 billion in two years and made available £300 million of capital funding in 2021 for school places for children with SEND. Second, it was …
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The Department highlighted three key things that it was doing while it worked on the SEND review. First, it had increased high-needs funding by about £1.5 billion in two years and made available £300 million of capital funding in 2021 for school places for children with SEND. Second, it was offering targeted intervention for the local authorities that had the most challenging situations. And third, it was focusing on children with SEND in its thinking about catch-up learning and recovery.41 35 HC Committee of Public Accounts, Support for children with special educational needs and disabilities, First Report of Session 2019–21, HC 85, May 2020 36 HC Committee of Public Accounts, Oral evidence: COVID-19: Education, HC 944, 25 March 2021, Q 80 37 C&AG’s Report, para 9 38 SCF0005 National Association of Head Teachers submission, page 3 39 Letter from Department for Education, 6 July 2021 40 Qq 4, 6–8 41 Qq 4–5 14 School Funding
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Government response AI summary
The government states it has provided an update on the SEND review and plans to publish proposals for full public consultation, committing to improving outcomes and value for money in the SEND system.
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HM Treasury
29
Conclusion
Twenty-First Report - School Funding
Deferred
We pressed the Department on the projected timeframe for the review to be completed, asking if it might be autumn 2021, the end of the calendar year, or the end of the 2021–22 financial year. The Department would not commit to a date, saying only that it would finalise the …
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We pressed the Department on the projected timeframe for the review to be completed, asking if it might be autumn 2021, the end of the calendar year, or the end of the 2021–22 financial year. The Department would not commit to a date, saying only that it would finalise the review as soon as it could.42 Changes to the national funding formula
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the ongoing SEND review, stating it has provided an update on progress and plans to publish proposals for full public consultation, without committing to a specific completion date for the review.
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HM Treasury
32
Conclusion
Twenty-First Report - School Funding
Deferred
In September 2019, the Government set out its intention that salaries for new teachers would rise to £30,000 nationally by September 2022. It stated that this increase would make teacher pay among the most competitive in the graduate labour market.46 However, at the 2020 Spending Review, the Government announced that …
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In September 2019, the Government set out its intention that salaries for new teachers would rise to £30,000 nationally by September 2022. It stated that this increase would make teacher pay among the most competitive in the graduate labour market.46 However, at the 2020 Spending Review, the Government announced that pay rises in the public sector would be restrained and targeted in 2021–22. The Department said, in evidence to the School Teachers’ Review Body, that it had paused planned pay rises for teachers in 2021/22, and that the move to increase teachers’ starting salaries to £30,000 would no longer be achieved by 2022/23.47
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the commitment to a £30,000 starting salary for teachers, stating it will provide written evidence to the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) in early 2022 outlining its intended approach, though exact delivery remains subject to STRB recommendations and government response.
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HM Treasury
33
Conclusion
Twenty-First Report - School Funding
Deferred
In its written evidence, the National Association of Head Teachers emphasised the need to improve salaries for teachers and school leaders as a critical element of any strategy to resolve the “longstanding recruitment and retention crisis”. It said that schools did not have the fiscal headroom to reverse the real-terms …
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In its written evidence, the National Association of Head Teachers emphasised the need to improve salaries for teachers and school leaders as a critical element of any strategy to resolve the “longstanding recruitment and retention crisis”. It said that schools did not have the fiscal headroom to reverse the real-terms decline in the salaries of teachers and leaders, and that all future employer costs, including salary, National Insurance and pension contributions, should be fully funded by government.48
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Government response AI summary
The government states it will provide written evidence to the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) in early 2022, outlining its intended approach for delivering the £30,000 starting salary for teachers. However, the exact delivery is subject to the STRB's recommendations and the government's response.
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HM Treasury
34
Recommendation
Twenty-First Report - School Funding
Deferred
In the three years from 2018–19, the Department gave grants towards teacher pay increases, and to meet the full cost of increased pension contributions. From 2021–22, the Department will incorporate most of this additional funding within the dedicated schools grant instead of giving it as separate grants, which will make …
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In the three years from 2018–19, the Department gave grants towards teacher pay increases, and to meet the full cost of increased pension contributions. From 2021–22, the Department will incorporate most of this additional funding within the dedicated schools grant instead of giving it as separate grants, which will make the funding less 42 Qq 9–10 43 C&AG’s Report, paras 2.24–2.25 44 Q 18 45 Qq 18–20, 88 46 Letter from the Secretary of State for Education to the School Teachers’ Review Body, 18 September 2019 47 C&AG’s Report, para 1.18 48 SCF0005 National Association of Head Teachers submission, page 4 School Funding 15 transparent.49 The Department told us that the extra money for pay and pensions would be maintained in the short term, but could not give this assurance for future spending review periods.50
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the recommendation and will submit written evidence to the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) in early 2022, outlining its intended approach to delivering the £30,000 starting salary. However, the exact delivery remains subject to STRB recommendations and the government's response.
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HM Treasury