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“These findings drive home the need to urgently reform the SEND system. Despite spending on SEND massively increasing over the last decade, the educational attainment of children with SEND has failed to improve, while councils continue to build up huge deficits related to SEND spending.

“As part of reforming the SEND system, it is vital that our education system becomes more inclusive, so that more children with SEND can attend their local mainstream school.

"Inspections and greater transparency will support improvement in educational standards, the identification and resolution of patterns of concern, and enable greater learning between trusts.”

“We are pleased government has introduced measures so that young people leaving care do not have to pay for prescriptions, as well as dental and eye care.

“Councils are working hard to use their finite resources in the best way possible to meet their legal duties to support children and young people with SEND."

“We are pleased the Government has announced this plan as it is vital there is a national strategy for children and young people.

New feedback from councils, published in a new report today, shows that free holiday provision for low-income families improves children’s health and wellbeing and boosts future school attendance.

“Child poverty not only limits children’s life chances and wellbeing but also imposes significant long-term costs on our economy and society."

“While it is positive government has committed to absorbing the costs of SEND spending from 2028/29 – and we look forward to clarity on how this will be funded – this does not address existing deficits, which are pushing many councils to the financial brink."

An independent report on rising needs in children under five commissioned by the Local Government Association has found councils and early years providers are consistently seeing an increase in volume and complexity of need.