Bridget Phillipson will give herself the power to refuse new private special schools, after vowing to \u201cclamp down\u201d on private-equity backed firms \u201csucking money out of our education system\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ministers sought to contain expensive independent special school fees in their SEND reforms, proposing tighter regulation and increase financial transparency. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Council spending on these placements has risen to more than \u00a32 billion a year. The growth accounts for almost a quarter of the total rise in high-needs spending since 2018, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the white paper, the DfE said it was concerned \u201cplacements in the sector are contributing to unsustainable financial pressure\u201d on councils \u201cwithout clear evidence they are leading to better quality support, outcomes and value for money\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Schools Week<\/em>\u00a0has revealed the soaring spend by councils on independent special schools amid the state capacity crisis in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n