SEND Children in private schools funded by Herefordshire Council
Case reference FOI2025/00180
Received 27 January 2025
Published 20 February 2025
Request
How many pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are being educated in independent schools paid for by council?
a) Please break down the numbers by financial year for the following years 2023/4, 2023/22; 2021/22
b) Please break down by private schools inside and outside borough
c) Please break down the total cost of these independent placements by financial year for the following years
2023/4;
2023/22;
2021/22;
For example, in the financial year 2023/4, the council funded 145 pupils with SEND to attend independent special schools. 50 pupils attended private schools outside of the borough/ in a different local authority's area. The total cost of these private school placements was £54,000 If for data protection reasons it is not possible to provide a breakdown by financial year please provide the figures over the total three year period.
For clarity: Private schools (also known as ‘independent schools’) charge fees to attend instead of being funded by the government.
For clarity: I am requesting the number of SEND pupils who - unable to be educated in their state local authority school - were sent to private schools paid for by the council. I am requesting the total costs of educating these children in these placements over the three year period. So that would include private schools able to accommodate SEND pupils and private schools specifically catering to SEND pupils i.e independent special schools.
Response
How many pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are being educated in independent schools paid for by council?
a) Please break down the numbers by financial year for the following years 2023/4, 2023/22; 2021/22
Answer: Please note this takes in account all children and young people to age 25.
2023/4: 105
2023/22: 90
2021/22: 81
b) Please break down by private schools inside and outside borough
Answer: We do not hold/record this information.
c) Please break down the total cost of these independent placements by financial year for the following years 2023/4; 2023/22; 2021/22
Answer:
2023/4: £10,381,392
2023/22: £6,265,949
2021/22: £8,889,689
If for data protection reasons it is not possible to provide a breakdown by financial year please provide the figures over the total three year period.
For clarity: Private schools (also known as ‘independent schools’) charge fees to attend instead of being funded by the government.
For clarity: I am requesting the number of SEND pupils who - unable to be educated in their state local authority school - were sent to private schools paid for by the council. I am requesting the total costs of educating these children in these placements over the three year period. So that would include private schools able to accommodate SEND pupils and private schools specifically catering to SEND pupils i.e independent special schools.
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
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