Special needs school jobs at risk over funding

The head teacher at a special needs school in Kent has warned of redundancies unless additional funding is secured.

Five Acre Wood School in Maidstone has received a 1% funding uplift per pupil from Kent County Council (KCC), a rise that its principal has said does not cover rising costs.

Higher national living wage costs were covered by £650,000 from the school's budget, but cuts to staffing and curriculum spending were being considered, Peggy Murphy said.

Councillor Beverley Fordham said KCC had received "zero uplift" in high-needs funding but passed a 1% uplift "rather than nothing", while the government said its reforms to the SEND system were intended to overhaul a "broken" system.

Billy Flowers, a learning approach leader who oversees five classrooms at Five Acre Wood School, said it would be a "massive detriment to staff and pupils" if cuts went ahead.

She added that staff would not be able to give the provision that the children "deserve and need".

The school, which supports 877 pupils with severe and complex needs, is thought to be the largest special needs school in the country, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

More than 85% of its annual £22m budget is spent on salaries for its 500-plus staff.

Jobs on the line could include the school's social worker, therapists and counsellor supporting vulnerable pupils.

More than 50% of children at the school have autism, with needs ranging from moderate to severe.

Five Acre Wood receives most of its funding from KCC, with grants and donations helping to make up the rest.

Fordham, cabinet member for education and skills, said that the government was carrying out SEND reforms, adding: "They are the ones who are deciding how they're going to finance the system and changes that they're bringing in.

"We need to wait to see how that's going to shape up before we can commit to any funding, or different ways of funding."

The Department for Education said that reforms to the SEND system were backed by £4bn to "ensure every child gets the right support".

A spokesperson said that the department was building a more inclusive education system that delivered support earlier and restored financial sustainability.

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