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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.

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

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

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

“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.

“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.

New research has found that integrated services are key to meeting the national target of achieving 75 per cent of five-year-olds with a good level of development (GLD) by 2028, but that workforce shortages and limited access to high-quality early years education are restricting progress.

Eight in 10 councils warn they will become insolvent over mounting deficits related to the cost of supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, a new survey by the Local Government Association suggests.  

“We are pleased the Government has acted on our call for an extension to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund and provided additional funding.