Young people with SEND cannot wait for reform, warns AoC

Young people with SEND cannot wait for system reform to access the support they need right now, says the Association of Colleges.  

A new report published today by AoC exposes the consistent issues with funding and placements for students with SEND, and urges the government to resolve immediate problems now, or risk failing thousands of students.  

The report, High Needs Funding in Colleges, published by the Association of Colleges, finds that while colleges remain overwhelmingly committed to supporting students with SEND, the systems used by local authorities to plan, commission and fund provision are increasingly creating barriers to effective support.

The findings come at a pivotal time as the government develops legislation following its 2026 consultation on SEND reform. The proposed changes represent the most significant restructuring of the system since the Children and Families Act 2014.

The role colleges have in educating young people with SEND cannot be underestimated. The report finds that specialist provision for students with SEND is provided by 90% of colleges, and the average proportion of high needs students learning on such courses is just over a third (33.7%). High needs budgets for individual colleges amounts to £3.58 million per college on average, demonstrating the large scale of college high needs provision.

The findings show wide-spread issues with planning and funding of SEND places and provision, despite 81% of colleges describing their relationships with local authorities as “collaborative”. This suggests that many of the issues stem from structural weaknesses rather than a lack of goodwill among professionals.

One of the most concerning findings is the quality of information used to make placement and funding decisions. More than two-thirds of colleges (67%) report that funding negotiations were based on inaccurate, incomplete or out-of-date education, health and care plans (EHCPs). Colleges warn that this means students can arrive at college, and staff don’t have an accurate understanding of their support needs, potentially compromising both educational outcomes and safety.

The survey also found that 71% of colleges have been directed by local authorities to enrol students whose needs they had formally advised they could not safely meet. Meanwhile, 66% report cases where local authorities amended EHCPs after a placement had been declined, including instances where behavioural, safeguarding, or medical needs were removed from documentation.

Financial pressures also emerged as a significant concern. Only 21% of colleges report that local authorities consistently took account of the actual costs of the provision they commission. A further 39% say that local authorities did not consider these costs when agreeing funding.

Widespread problems with the timeliness of payments were also identified. Only 26% of colleges say that payments were made according to agreed schedules, while 32% report delays that extended beyond the academic year in which support was delivered. Such delays leave colleges carrying significant financial burdens for support that has already been provided, further undermining the sustainability of SEND provision and creating uncertainty for both colleges and learners.

David Holloway, Senior Policy Manager – SEND, Association of Colleges said: “We are pleased to publish our largest ever survey of college high needs provision. Most colleges in the country responded, and we believe the survey paints an accurate and detailed picture of how colleges manage to be inclusive despite working within a dysfunctional system.  

“These findings are clear evidence that the government is absolutely right to reform the current system, and there are plenty of lessons for policy makers as they shape and develop the legislation and reforms.  

“However, the reality on the ground for colleges right now can’t be ignored until 2030, and there are immediate actions the government could take to resolve some of these issues. We know that staff at local authorities too are under immense strain, and we are pleased that in general, colleges report that their relationships with them are collaborative. Actions like issuing Department for Education guidance on the duty to admit and student safety and strengthening the High Needs Operational Guide would support both colleges and local authorities and strengthen the current system.”

Recommendations

Short term  

• The high needs operational guide should be strengthened to ensure that local authorities are mindful of the financial viability of college high needs provision when agreeing funding.  
• Urgent guidance should be issued by the Department for Education (DfE) to make it explicit that safeguarding and health and safety considerations take priority over the duty to admit.  

Long term  

• Fundamental change is needed to the system of allocating high needs places and funding.  
• A new system needs to support strategic planning so that transition decisions are timely, appropriate, safe, and funded.  
• There should be investment in the SEND workforce of the authorities who fund and commission places.  
• New mechanisms such as specialist provision packages (SPPs) and the ‘redirection’ of high needs funding should be designed to avoid creating disincentives to inclusive enrolment.  
• There should be accountabilities for the accuracy and portability student information like ECHPs and individual support plans (ISPs).

You can read the full report here.

*118 colleges across England responded to this survey, which is 56% of colleges in England.