Special needs services in England face ‘total collapse’ from increasing demand

Councils say 59 authorities could go bankrupt by March 2028 without urgent structural reform

Special educational needs services in England face total collapse", with councils on course to have run up debts of 18bn by the end of the decade as a result of increasing numbers of children requiring extra teaching support in schools.

Without urgent structural reform of the system, the cost of accelerating demand for special educational needs and disability (Send) support could push about 59 upper-tier authorities into effective bankruptcy by March 2028, councils have warned.