Cornwall councillors press new PM Andy Burnham on SEND funding

Cornwall Council has drawn up an ambitious plan to change how children and young people with special educational needs are supported. On Tuesday, one of its councillors will argue that the plan can only deliver if the funding follows.

The motion going before councillors

At the full meeting of Cornwall Council on Tuesday 21 July, Liberal Democrat councillor Rosie Moore will propose a motion calling for a review of the National Funding Formula and High Needs Funding arrangements. The Liberal Democrats say the current arrangements do not reflect the realities of delivering education in rural and coastal areas such as Cornwall.

The Lib Dem group is also calling on new Prime Minister Andy Burnham to make sure his Government’s national education funding keeps pace with its ambitions for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

What the motion builds on

According to the group, the motion builds on Cornwall Council’s local SEND Reform Plan. The plan sets out a programme to improve outcomes for children and young people by strengthening inclusion and making support available closer to home.

The Liberal Democrats argue that delivering SEND reform and securing fairer funding go hand in hand.

What would happen if the motion passes

If approved, the motion would see Cornwall Council:

• seek a meeting with the Secretary of State for Education
• work with the cross-party f40 group of historically underfunded local authorities
• convene a Cornwall Education Funding Roundtable
• prepare an evidence base to support the case for fairer funding

The group says the motion builds on Cornwall’s long-standing work with the f40 group to secure a funding system that better recognises the needs of rural authorities and gives every child access to the support they need to thrive.

‘This isn’t about special treatment’

Cllr Rosie Moore said: “Cornwall has shown real leadership in developing an ambitious SEND Reform Plan that puts children and families first. But if Government wants councils and schools to deliver earlier intervention, greater inclusion and better outcomes, the funding system has to support those ambitions.”

She said Cornwall’s schools face challenges that are not always recognised in national funding arrangements, pointing to rurality, small schools, workforce pressures, transport costs and growing demand for SEND support.

“This isn’t about asking for special treatment; it’s about making sure Cornwall receives a fair settlement that reflects the realities of delivering education across a large rural area,” Cllr Rosie Moore said. “By working together across political parties and with our education partners, we can make the strongest possible case to government.”

Cornwall ‘in the lower quarter’ for school funding

The motion is backed by Cllr Hilary Frank, Cabinet member for Children, Families and Schools, who sits on the Executive Committee of the f40 group.

Cllr Hilary Frank said the National Funding Formula, introduced in 2018, had been an important step towards a fairer way of funding schools across England, reducing some historic inequalities without removing them.

She said: “The latest analysis by the f40 group shows Cornwall remains in the lower quarter of local authorities for both overall school funding and High Needs funding, despite the additional costs of delivering education across a large rural area.

“Through the f40, I’m working with colleagues from councils across the country to make the case for a funding system that properly reflects rurality and the growing demand for SEND support. Cornwall has a respected voice in that national conversation.

“This motion strengthens our ability to make the case that a fair funding system should recognise both the needs of children and the realities of delivering education in rural communities.”