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<p>In the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision
(AP) Improvement Plan, the department set out a vision for an inclusive system characterised
by high-quality mainstream provision where children and young people have their needs
identified early and can access prompt, evidence-based, targeted support. The department
is working with local authorities to create or strengthen local SEND and AP partnerships
to bring together local authorities, health and education partners across local systems
to strategically plan and commission support for children and young people with SEND.</p><p>
</p><p>To support local authorities, the department is investing £21 million to train
400 more educational psychologists and introducing a National Professional Qualification
(NPQ) for special educational needs coordinators at leadership level.</p><p></p><p>Schools
and Multi-Academy Trust leaders should promote collaborative working and drive inclusive
practices across local areas. The department’s expectations for high-quality, inclusive
education are set out in the High-Quality Trust Framework and enforced through the
inspections under Ofsted’s 2019 education inspection framework</p><p> </p><p>The department
is also investing in specific programmes designed to help schools develop their inclusive
practice. For example, the Universal Services programme helps the schools and further
education workforce to identify and meet the needs of children and young people with
SEND, earlier and more effectively. As part of the programme, over 135,000 professionals
have undertaken autism awareness training. And to support schools to create calm,
safe and supportive environments for all pupils, the department has also invested
£10 million in the Behaviour Hubs programme. No pupil should miss out on education
because of concerns to safety, disruptions to lessons or if pupils’ needs are not
identified and supported.</p><p> </p><p>Mainstream schools in London are to be allocated
£7.48 billion in 2024/25, a cash increase of 1.6% per pupil compared to 2023/24, and
an increase of 12.5% per pupil over the Spending Review period compared to 2021/22.
For any cost of special educational needs support which is more than £6,000 per pupil,
schools can access local authorities’ high needs budgets. Local authorities in London
have been allocated high needs funding amounting to £1.9 billion in 2023/24. This
is set to increase to £2 billion in 2024/25, which equates to a cumulative increase
of 29% per head through the National Funding Formula over the three years since 2021/22
allocations. Within that London total, the London Borough of Lewisham’s allocation
of high needs funding in 2024/25 is over £79 million, which is a cumulative increase
of 27% since their 2021/22 allocations. Across England, by 2024/25 high needs funding
will have increased by 60% over the five years since 2019/20 to a total of over £10.5
billion.</p><p><br> The department has published over £1.5 billion of High Needs Provision
Capital Allocations for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years, of which local authorities
in London have been allocated £325 million. This funding is allocated to support local
authorities deliver new places and improve existing provision for children and young
people with SEND or who require AP. Local authorities can use it to deliver new places
in mainstream and special schools, as well as other specialist settings, and to improve
the suitability and accessibility of existing buildings. This forms part of the department’s
transformational investment of £2.6 billion in new high needs provision between 2022
and 2025 and is on top of its ongoing delivery of new special and AP free schools<em>.</em></p>
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