Hartlepool Borough Council to lobby Government after hearing how funding for special education pupils has been frozen since 2012

Hartlepool Borough Council children’s services committee agreed to write to the Department for Education and the Secretary of State for Education after the “really important worries” were raised before councillors.

Zoe Westley, headteacher at Springwell School, noted for 2024-25 that the “units” of funding provided from the Government is £5,382 per primary school pupil and £6,926 for secondary students, both up by more 5% compared to the previous year’s amounts.

Yet she said for special schools and alternative provision that the figure is £10,000 per child and “hasn’t changed since 2012”, when it was set.

She continued: “Top up funding is costing the local authority an awful lot more than it should be because it’s making up for the fact that £10,000 per child has never been increased.

“It’s about lobbying in terms of the Department for Education and making people aware.”

Sally Robinson, council executive director of children’s and commissioning services, said it was a “really important point” and helps explain the “substantial pressure” on Hartlepool’s high needs block funding.

This caters for young people in schools with special educational needs.

Independent councillor Jim Lindridge, chair of the committee, added the lack of an increase will have had a “significant impact”, especially when considering inflation.

Labour councillor Brenda Harrison therefore proposed the committee support the lobbying by writing “on behalf of our special schools in the town” and to voice “how concerned we are that the money hasn’t gone up” since 2012.

The motion was agreed by the committee.