Education

UK education budget struggles to meet ambitious goals amid rising SEND costs and staffing shortages

Friday, 7 November 2025 5:07AM UTC

The UK government faces significant hurdles in fulfilling its education ambitions, with funding shortfalls, rising special educational needs costs, and persistent staffing shortages threatening to widen attainment gaps and hinder reforms.

The UK Government’s current education spending plans face significant challenges in meeting ambitious goals to close gaps in educational outcomes and effectively address the growing crisis in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), according to a report by the Institute for Government (IfG). The report highlights that the Government’s budget falls short of its stated aims to break the correlation between a child’s background and their future success, with particular concern over unfocused strategies to tackle teacher shortages and SEND reform.

Amber Dellar, the author of the IfG report, emphasised that while the Government holds high ambitions for improving schools, its budget does not sufficiently support these objectives. With pupil numbers declining, especially in London, where primary school enrolment has dropped by 8.1% since 2018/19, funding based on per pupil allocation leaves many schools operating with decreasing budgets despite fixed costs for buildings and staffing. This results in money increasingly tied up in empty classrooms, with 23,000 primary school classrooms vacant across England, an unprecedented figure since records began in 2009/10.

A critical pressure point is the escalating demand for SEND provision. Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs) have more than doubled over the past nine years, driving a near doubling of high needs spending to an estimated £12.9 billion by 2028/29, almost 93% higher than in 2012/13. Despite this surge, the report notes there is less funding available per pupil with special educational needs, and funds are being consumed by more costly interventions without necessarily improving outcomes. The Government has postponed its SEND reform plans until 2026 to enable further testing of proposals, which adds uncertainty to whether current financial commitments can bridge existing gaps.

Government commitments include a pledge to increase the number of teachers, promising 6,500 additional classroom teachers by the end of the Parliament to address workforce shortages, a problem acknowledged as one of the most critical facing schools in 2024/25. While early data show a modest rise in teacher numbers, the National Audit Office has raised concerns over whether this increase will be sufficient to meet current and future demands, especially given the wider issues in recruitment and retention.

Alongside challenges in school infrastructure and staffing, disparities in educational attainment persist. The IfG report points out that inequalities have worsened since the pandemic, with the GCSE attainment gap between London and England as a whole widening, further complicating the Government’s ambition to create equal opportunities for all pupils.

In response to growing pressures, the government has announced several significant investments in education and related services. A £850 million fund is set to create 60,000 additional SEND places, designed to provide tailored support to children with autism, learning difficulties, and mobility challenges, ensuring they receive education in high-quality, specialist environments. The government has also launched transformational reforms for SEND, including training thousands of workers for early support, opening 33 new special free schools, and streamlining the EHCP process through digital innovations to make it faster and simpler. These initiatives form part of a broader package with SEND funding increasing by over 50% compared to 2019-20, reaching more than £10 billion by 2023-24.

Mental health support in schools is also being expanded under the government’s Plan for Change, with nearly a million more pupils expected to access specialist support this year, reaching six in ten children nationwide. This initiative aims to combat the mental health crisis affecting young people and improve attendance and behaviour, ultimately supporting better educational outcomes.

Moreover, public health services are receiving a £200 million boost to enhance family and school nursing, sexual health clinics, and other community health initiatives, which underpin children’s wellbeing and readiness to learn. Beyond education, the Government has invested a record £29 billion into rebuilding the NHS, including mental health services and digital transformation, reflecting an integrated approach to supporting children’s health and education.

Despite these investment commitments, the Institute for Government warns that budget constraints, declining pupil numbers, and workforce shortages leave the Government with tough choices ahead. Mark Franks, director of welfare and economist at the Nuffield Foundation, underscores that financial pressures and staffing shortfalls could derail efforts to close attainment gaps for disadvantaged pupils, with limited scope within current spending plans to address these competing priorities effectively.

Official statements from the Department for Education acknowledge the magnitude of the challenge ahead, particularly with teacher shortages and SEND needs, yet affirm commitment to expanding resources and reform. The sustained effort to align educational ambitions with funding realities, however, remains a complex balancing act that will define the outcomes for many children in the coming years.

📌 Reference Map:

^[1] (Belfast Telegraph) - Paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11
^[4] (UK Government) - Paragraphs 4, 9, 10
^[7] (UK Government) - Paragraph 9, 10
^[3] (UK Government) - Paragraph 10
^[2] (UK Government) - Paragraph 10
^[5] (UK Government) - Paragraph 10
^[1], ^[7] (Belfast Telegraph, UK Government) - Paragraph 11

Source: Noah Wire Services

More on this

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/education-spending-plans-will-struggle-to-narrow-gaps-in-outcomes-report/a2064314005.html - Please view link - unable to able to access data
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/local-public-health-services-given-200-million-boost - The UK government has announced a £200 million boost to local public health services, aiming to enhance family and school nursing, sexual health clinics, and other public health initiatives. This funding is part of the government's Plan for Change to build a more robust NHS. The public health grant, which supports health services through local authorities, will increase to £3.858 billion, marking a 5.4% uplift. The investment is intended to drive key health services, including smoking cessation, addiction recovery, and children's health.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/almost-million-more-pupils-get-access-to-mental-health-support - The UK government is expanding mental health support in schools, aiming to reach up to 900,000 more pupils this year, covering six in ten children nationwide. By 2029/30, all pupils will have access to mental health support in schools. The support teams, comprising specialists, offer various services from group sessions to one-on-one anxiety management, addressing the mental health crisis among young people and improving school attendance. The initiative is part of the government's Plan for Change to enhance children's life chances and tackle the root causes of poor attendance and behaviour.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-delivering-on-60000-more-special-needs-places - The UK government is investing £850 million to create 60,000 additional special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) places. This funding aims to ensure children receive education tailored to their needs in high-quality environments. The investment will support children with autism, learning difficulties, mobility challenges, and more, providing specialist support to meet their extra needs, including assistance with learning, communication, and personal care. The initiative reflects the government's commitment to enhancing SEND provision across the country.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chancellor-announces-record-investment-to-rebuild-national-health-service - The UK Chancellor has announced a record £29 billion investment to rebuild the National Health Service (NHS). The funding includes up to £10 billion for technology and digital transformation, training thousands more GPs to deliver additional appointments, and rolling out mental health support to all schools. The investment aims to cut waiting lists, improve patient care, and modernise services, aligning with the government's Plan for Change to ensure a strong economy supported by a robust NHS.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/20-million-boost-for-adult-social-care-and-unpaid-carers - The UK government is investing £20 million in innovative projects supporting adult social care and unpaid carers. The funding will expand community-based care models, such as Shared Lives, where carers support individuals in their own homes. It also includes developing digital tools to identify and support unpaid carers, connecting them with local support and resources. This initiative is part of the government's broader commitment to adult social care reform, with up to £8.6 billion additional funding over this financial year and next.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/transformational-reform-begins-for-children-and-young-people-with-send - The UK government has initiated a transformational reform for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The improvement plan includes investment in training thousands of workers to provide early support, approval of 33 new special free schools, and the development of national SEND and alternative provision standards. The plan also aims to simplify the process for assessing children's needs through education, health, and care plans, making it digital-first, quicker, and simpler. This package forms part of the government's significant investment into SEND and alternative provision, with funding increasing by more than 50% compared to 2019 to 2020, reaching over £10 billion by 2023 to 2024.

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score: 7

Notes: The narrative presents recent data, including pupil number declines and SEND funding increases, indicating freshness. However, similar discussions on education spending have been reported in the past, such as the Institute for Fiscal Studies' report in May 2025 ([educationbusinessuk.net](https://www.educationbusinessuk.net/news/28052025/government-faces-tough-decisions-education-spending?utm_source=openai)). The report's focus on the Institute for Government's findings suggests it may be based on a recent press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score. Nonetheless, the presence of similar content elsewhere indicates a moderate freshness score.

Quotes check

Score: 8

Notes: The narrative includes direct quotes from Amber Dellar and Mark Franks. A search for these quotes reveals no exact matches in earlier publications, suggesting originality. However, the absence of online matches may also indicate exclusivity or limited dissemination.

Source reliability

Score: 9

Notes: The narrative originates from the Belfast Telegraph, a reputable UK news outlet. The Institute for Government is a well-established think tank, enhancing the credibility of the information presented.

Plausability check

Score: 7

Notes: The claims about declining pupil numbers and SEND funding increases align with recent reports from the Institute for Fiscal Studies ([educationbusinessuk.net](https://www.educationbusinessuk.net/news/28052025/government-faces-tough-decisions-education-spending?utm_source=openai)). The narrative's tone and language are consistent with typical reporting on educational policy, suggesting plausibility. However, the lack of supporting detail from other reputable outlets and the absence of specific factual anchors in some sections raise questions about the narrative's completeness and potential for synthetic content.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM

Summary: The narrative presents recent data and includes original quotes, indicating a moderate level of freshness and originality. The source is reputable, and the claims are plausible, with some alignment to recent reports. However, the presence of similar content elsewhere and the lack of supporting detail from other reputable outlets suggest the need for further verification.

UK education funding
SEND provision
teacher shortages
educational inequality