CHILDREN with special needs may have to be turned away by Southampton schools if funding changes are given the go-ahead, it has been claimed.

It all comes after concerns were raised earlier this week by the heads of several Southampton special schools regarding proposed government changes to the funding formula, being consulted upon until March 22.

Teachers claimed the £28 million budget would be slashed by 11% if the proposals were given the go-ahead, resulting in classes doubling in size, after-school clubs and school trips being scrapped and children with more challenging behaviour being refused places.

The Department for Education has denied this and said they will be investing an extra £1.1 million in the special schools budget, and that any of the proposed changes were still being consulted upon and were subject to change.

Southampton Test MP Alan Whitehead has said although nothing is set in stone, and things could change as part of the consultation process, Southampton City Council was having to take the proposed changes into account as part of its budget for the next financial year.

He added currently the budget was allocated in blocks and up until now the council had added extra funding from the general school block to the special needs block - to help the schools make ends meet.

Mr Whitehead said one of the changes to the new school funding formula would mean the council would have less flexibility in transferring money from one block to another, creating a shortfall. This would mean it would need to slash 11% of the combined £28 million budget and although it was not a direct cut being made by government the change would tie the council’s hands, meaning it would have to find the added cash from somewhere or effectively cut schools’ budgets.

He added while the government was investing a further £1.1 million in schools for children with high needs it would not be as much as what the council had been doing in previous years.

Mr Whitehead said: “It may well be the flexibility may be reintroduced during the consultation process but the council has to go on the default position, where there is no flexibility for the next year - it cannot do its budget on the basis it might happen or change.

“The council has put a number of options forward to schools, anticipating the changes proposed by government. One of the options on the table is to cut 11% across the board.

“If you have across the board cuts it has additional implications - the schools are saying they will not be able to cater for the number of pupils which will mean the council will have to make alternative arrangements - perhaps sending them to private schools which can cope with their needs - costing the authority more. It would create more problems in the future.”

Councillor Darren Paffey, who is responsible for education and skills at the council, has now written a letter inviting the Secretary of State for Education to see the “effects of the government’s cash-freeze on school funding”.

More than 40 head teachers and chairs of governors have put their names to this letter to “stand up for Southampton’s schools”.

Southampton City Council has also now asked a cross-section of headteachers from primary, secondary and special need schools to join a working group along with staff from the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Service.

No decisions have been made yet, but the group will consider four options and make recommendations to be discussed by headteachers at the Southampton Schools’ Forum - which is responsible for deciding where government funding for schools is allocated.

Cllr Paffey said the demand for places at Southampton’s special schools had been rising in recent years, but government funding had not.

“This demand along with the rising costs of running the schools have led to considerable financial pressures. This is not a unique situation - schools up and down the country are facing real-terms cuts from central government.

“Because of this, I’ve written to the Secretary of State for Education asking her to provide sufficient funding for schools, and inviting her to come to Southampton so she can see the effects of the government’s cash-freeze on school funding.”

A Department for Education (DfE) spokesman has denied it will be making cuts of 11% to the £28 million special need schools’ budget in Southampton.

A government spokesman said it would in fact be allocating Southampton City Council an extra £1.1 million of high needs funding this year and next year to support children with special education needs and disabilities, ensuring they are able to access an excellent education.

And alongside this the schools would also be given a £103,882 share of a strategic planning fund to help manage costs and resources relating to provision for pupils.

He added in the long term, under the government’s proposed national funding formula for high needs, which they were currently consulting on, Southampton City Council’s high needs funding would be increased by around £1.8 million – an 8% rise.

The spokesman said more recently the DfE confirmed every local authority in England would receive a share of a £215 million fund to improve and create more special provision – and out of that Southampton was set to receive £1.2 million.

“Once the department has provided the funding we trust individual councils to decide how best to allocate the funding,” the spokesman added.

“As a result any decisions on individual school allocations are a matter for Southampton City Council to respond to.”

The DfE spokesman said the government had protected the core schools budget in real terms since 2010, with school funding at its highest level on record at more than £40 billion in 2016-17.

He added that was set to rise, as pupil numbers grow, over the next two years to £42 billion by 2019-20?.

“We are going to end the postcode lottery in school funding and, under the proposed national funding formula, more than half of England’s schools will receive a cash boost,” he added.

“This includes many in Southampton, as the city’s schools would benefit from a £1.6 million funding increase.

“However, we recognise schools are facing cost pressures, which is why we will continue to provide support to help them use their funding in cost effective ways, including improving the way they buy goods and services, so they get the best possible value.”

The spokesman said it was incorrect to claim it was no longer possible for authorities to allocate extra funds for special schools.

“Indeed, we are currently consulting on proposals which would allow local authorities continuing flexibility in managing their schools budget,” he added.

“The consultation closes on March 22, and we are keen to hear from as many schools, governors, local authorities and parents as possible.”