Skip to content
Facts CountEdition: PortsmouthChange place
or browse all wards

Find your area

Action plan · all proposals

Proposed by Facts Count

Publish a costed plan for children needing extra support

Set out, with costs, how Portsmouth could cut waits for assessments, give earlier speech, language and mental-health help, and plan local specialist places, now that the special-needs reserve is forecast to run out during 2026/27.

In five minutes

The evidence

New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks (excluding legal exceptions): 42.9% (220 of 513). England 46.1%, Hampshire 52.0%, Southampton 80.0% (Calendar year 2025), Portsmouth City Council area (local authority responsible).

Issue: Schools, SEND and attendance. Related findings: “Children need support before absence deepens”.

Proposed by
Proposed by Facts Count A proposal, not a council decision or commitment.
Proposed lead
Portsmouth City Council (children, families and education, with the finance director), as a proposal, working through the existing SEND and alternative provision partnership board
Cost and funding
Not costed · no funding identified.
EstimateAllocatedSpentUnknown
First move
A councillor or Schools Forum member could ask for a paper reconciling the grant reserve history and the high needs shortfall to be added to a future Schools Forum agenda. This needs no new spending and would test whether a costed plan is wanted.
Success measure
A published, costed plan that shows each option's staff, places, one-off and yearly costs and funding source; EHC plans issued on time at or above the England rate and staying there; fewer children reaching severe absence; shorter waits for therapy and mental-health help; and families reporting better experience. No numeric target is proposed here because no agreed local target was found.

Suggested stages

A proposed sequence, not deadlines or funded commitments. Starting an action is not the same as its benefits arriving.

Start soon

  • Map the assessment route stage by stage and publish anonymised waiting times at each stageLead: Portsmouth City Council SEN service (proposed)Output: Published map of the route with typical waits and the reasons plans miss 20 weeks
  • Publish a short reconciliation of the grant reserve: why it grew to £11.5m by March 2024, what it has funded since, and the forecast to March 2028Lead: Portsmouth City Council finance director (section 151 officer) (proposed)Output: Public paper reconciling year-end balances with high needs spending
  • Analyse severe absence by school phase, recorded reason and SEN status with schools, without identifying childrenLead: Portsmouth City Council education service with schools (proposed)Output: Anonymised analysis separating illness, unauthorised absence, reduced timetables and exclusion

Build next

  • Appraise employing versus commissioning educational psychologists, speech and language therapists and mental-health practitionersLead: Council and integrated care board joint commissioning team (proposed)Output: Costed options with staff numbers, yearly cost, risks and a preferred approachDepends on: Cost and vacancy data from the council and NHS providers
  • Produce a place-sufficiency plan for inclusion centres and special schools linked to out-of-city placement trendsLead: Portsmouth City Council school place planning (proposed)Output: Plan stating places needed by type and year, with capital and running costs shown separatelyDepends on: Capital allocations from the Department for Education
  • Agree a shared quarterly progress report covering assessment waits, therapy waits, attendance and family feedbackLead: SEND and alternative provision partnership board (proposed)Output: Agreed measures, definitions and reporting body

Longer term

  • Adapt the plan to national reform once legislation and funding rules are settledLead: Portsmouth City Council with partners (proposed)Output: Revised plan covering transition of existing EHC plans from September 2029 onwards if the published timetable holdsDepends on: Education for All Bill and government consultation response
  • Independent evaluation of whether the chosen options shortened waits and reduced severe absenceLead: To be agreed; an independent evaluator is proposedOutput: Published evaluation against the baselines above

Why, and the trade-off

Requests for an education, health and care (EHC) needs assessment rose from 244 in 2019 to 590 in 2025. In 2025, 42.9% of new plans were issued within the 20-week limit, up from 1.6% in 2023 but below England (46.1%). Severe absence rose in every published year from 2018/19 to 2024/25 and is above Southampton, Hampshire and England. The council's reserve for this spending is being used up: in June 2026 it forecast a £1.05m shortfall by March 2027.

Trade-off: Children with speech, language, communication and mental-health needs make up a larger share of Portsmouth's EHC plans than nationally and could gain most. Families able to challenge decisions may currently get help faster; a clearer route could narrow that difference. Shifting money between schools, early years and high needs could leave some mainstream schools with less.

Baseline New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks (excluding legal exceptions): 42.9% (220 of 513). England 46.1%, Hampshire 52.0%, Southampton 80.0% (Calendar year 2025); Requests for an EHC needs assessment: 590 requests (244 in 2019). In 2025, 72.2% of requests were decided in favour of assessment (Calendar years 2019 and 2025); EHC plans maintained by the council: 2,616 (1,513 in January 2019, a rise of 72.9%) (January 2026); Pupils with an EHC plan, share of all pupils in schools: 7.17%. England 6.04%, Hampshire 7.37%, Southampton 6.72% (January 2026); Severe absence (pupils missing at least half of possible sessions): 3.55% of pupil enrolments. Southampton 3.36%, Hampshire 2.44%, England 2.39% (School year 2024/25); Persistent absence (missing 10% or more of sessions): 19.74%. Southampton 21.40%, Hampshire 15.77%, England 18.14% (School year 2024/25); Recorded reasons for absence, share of all possible sessions: Overall 7.80% (England 6.78%). Illness 3.11% (England 3.22%). Other unauthorised 2.54% (England 1.56%). Temporary reduced timetable 0.44% (England 0.23%). Exclusion 0.21% (England 0.15%) (School year 2024/25); Primary need of pupils with an EHC plan: Speech, language and communication 29.2% (England 22.1%, Southampton 21.5%). Social, emotional and mental health 24.6% (England 16.9%, Southampton 14.6%). Autism 26.0% (England 33.5%, Southampton 38.3%) (January 2026); Dedicated Schools Grant reserve at year end: £11.48m (31 March 2024), £11.13m (31 March 2025), £8.01m (31 March 2026, outturn before audit). Forecast at 30 June 2026: deficit of £1.05m at 31 March 2027 (Financial years 2023/24 to 2026/27); High needs spending against funding: 2025/26: high needs spending £4.8m above the high needs allocation, partly met by £3.0m of planned reserves. 2026/27 budget: high needs funding shortfall of £8.53m, met from the reserve (Financial years 2025/26 and 2026/27); Placements outside the city's own schools: 56 pupils in independent or specialist settings (budget 44) and 52 receiving individual tuition (budget 13) (Financial year 2025/26)

Full appraisal

Problem, options against the current approach, costs, risks, who gains and who pays, and how progress would be judged.

Full delivery plan: problem, options, costs, risks and how to judge progress

The problem and who is affected

Requests for an education, health and care (EHC) needs assessment rose from 244 in 2019 to 590 in 2025. In 2025, 42.9% of new plans were issued within the 20-week limit, up from 1.6% in 2023 but below England (46.1%). Severe absence rose in every published year from 2018/19 to 2024/25 and is above Southampton, Hampshire and England. The council's reserve for this spending is being used up: in June 2026 it forecast a £1.05m shortfall by March 2027.

Who is affected: Children and young people aged 0 to 25 with special educational needs. In January 2026 about 6,700 pupils in Portsmouth schools had extra support (2,121 with an EHC plan and 4,592 on SEN support). The council maintained 2,616 EHC plans in all settings. Families, schools and the council's high needs budget are also affected.

Starting point: measured figures
MeasureValuePeriodArea
New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks (excluding legal exceptions) Earlier years: 1.6% (3 of 192) in 2023 and 4.3% (21 of 485) in 2024. In 2024, 143 plans (29.5%) took more than 52 weeks; in 2025, 15 plans (2.9%). This measures when a plan is issued, not when support starts.42.9% (220 of 513). England 46.1%, Hampshire 52.0%, Southampton 80.0%Calendar year 2025Portsmouth City Council area (local authority responsible)
Requests for an EHC needs assessment590 requests (244 in 2019). In 2025, 72.2% of requests were decided in favour of assessmentCalendar years 2019 and 2025Portsmouth City Council area
EHC plans maintained by the council2,616 (1,513 in January 2019, a rise of 72.9%)January 2026Portsmouth City Council (all settings and ages)
Pupils with an EHC plan, share of all pupils in schools Portsmouth had the lowest share of the three local authorities in each year from 2021/22 to 2024/25 (for example 5.82% in January 2025) and moved above Southampton in January 2026.7.17%. England 6.04%, Hampshire 7.37%, Southampton 6.72%January 2026Pupils in all schools located in each area
Severe absence (pupils missing at least half of possible sessions) Portsmouth rose from 1.69% in 2018/19 through each published year (no full-year figure for 2019/20). By phase in 2024/25: primary 0.95% (England 0.93%), secondary 5.51% (England 3.88%), special schools 19.76% (England 6.91%).3.55% of pupil enrolments. Southampton 3.36%, Hampshire 2.44%, England 2.39%School year 2024/25State-funded primary, secondary and special schools in each area
Persistent absence (missing 10% or more of sessions)19.74%. Southampton 21.40%, Hampshire 15.77%, England 18.14%School year 2024/25State-funded schools in each area
Recorded reasons for absence, share of all possible sessions These are all pupils' sessions, not only severely absent pupils. Recorded codes describe how schools logged an absence, not its underlying cause.Overall 7.80% (England 6.78%). Illness 3.11% (England 3.22%). Other unauthorised 2.54% (England 1.56%). Temporary reduced timetable 0.44% (England 0.23%). Exclusion 0.21% (England 0.15%)School year 2024/25State-funded schools in each area
Primary need of pupils with an EHC planSpeech, language and communication 29.2% (England 22.1%, Southampton 21.5%). Social, emotional and mental health 24.6% (England 16.9%, Southampton 14.6%). Autism 26.0% (England 33.5%, Southampton 38.3%)January 2026Pupils with an EHC plan in state-funded and non-maintained special schools in each area (Portsmouth 2,090 pupils)
Dedicated Schools Grant reserve at year end The reserve is for the whole grant (schools, early years and high needs), not the high needs part alone. The February 2026 budget assumed a £5.0m opening reserve and forecast a £4.53m deficit; the actual opening reserve was £8.01m, so the July revision forecast £0.52m, and the June-based monitoring forecast £1.05m.£11.48m (31 March 2024), £11.13m (31 March 2025), £8.01m (31 March 2026, outturn before audit). Forecast at 30 June 2026: deficit of £1.05m at 31 March 2027Financial years 2023/24 to 2026/27Portsmouth City Council's schools grant after academy recoupment (central, early years and high needs blocks)
High needs spending against funding2025/26: high needs spending £4.8m above the high needs allocation, partly met by £3.0m of planned reserves. 2026/27 budget: high needs funding shortfall of £8.53m, met from the reserveFinancial years 2025/26 and 2026/27Portsmouth City Council
Placements outside the city's own schools The 2024 to 2029 strategy (April 2024 snapshot) reported 27 children in out-of-city schools and described dependence on out-of-city placements as low.56 pupils in independent or specialist settings (budget 44) and 52 receiving individual tuition (budget 13)Financial year 2025/26Pupils funded by Portsmouth City Council

What this would change

Aim: Give children with special educational needs timely assessment and the right help earlier, within a funding plan the council, schools and the NHS can sustain after the national accounting protection for school-grant deficits ends on 31 March 2028.

What success would mean: A published, costed plan that shows each option's staff, places, one-off and yearly costs and funding source; EHC plans issued on time at or above the England rate and staying there; fewer children reaching severe absence; shorter waits for therapy and mental-health help; and families reporting better experience. No numeric target is proposed here because no agreed local target was found.

The council, schools, the NHS and parents would publish one costed support plan alongside the refreshed SEND strategy planned for January 2027. It would map each step of the assessment route and where waits build up; compare employing more educational psychologists and therapists directly with buying more from NHS or private providers; size speech, language and mental-health support to Portsmouth's actual need mix; set out how many inclusion centre and special school places are needed; and plan help that reaches children before absence becomes severe. Each option would show staff numbers, one-off and yearly costs, funding source, and what changes if national reform alters funding.

Proposed lead: Portsmouth City Council (children, families and education, with the finance director), as a proposal, working through the existing SEND and alternative provision partnership board. Partners: Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (joint commissioning of children's health services), NHS community children's therapy and mental-health services (Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust took over Solent NHS Trust's services in 2024; the current children's provider is to be confirmed), Portsmouth Schools Forum, Schools and academy trusts, including the trusts running the city's special schools, Portsmouth Parent Voice and young people's groups, Portsmouth Education Partnership, Department for Education.

Powers: The council has the legal duty to assess and issue EHC plans (the DfE measures the statutory 20-week limit) and sets the Dedicated Schools Grant budget, which is ring-fenced to the schools budget under the School and Early Years Finance (England) Regulations, with Schools Forum approving some elements (pcc-dsg-budget-2026-27). The integrated care board commissions children's health services jointly with the council (pcc-sendap-strategy-2024-29). The council cannot direct academies or NHS providers; it can commission, fund places and agree joint plans. National reform is not law: a consultation closed on 18 May 2026 and the Education for All Bill had not been introduced when last checked (hcl-cbp-10550).

Options

  • Current approach: Continue current approach. Keep the 2024 to 2029 strategy until the refresh planned for January 2027, set the grant budget year by year, and use the reserve to cover the high needs shortfall. This keeps services running but leaves no reserve after 2026/27 and no published costed choice between staffing and placement options.
  • Proposed response: Publish a costed support plan with the strategy refresh. Add a costed option appraisal to the January 2027 strategy refresh: assessment capacity, employed versus commissioned specialists, speech, language and mental-health support, inclusion bases and special places, each with yearly costs, funding and a progress measure.
  • Alternative: Wait for national reform before committing. Hold new commitments until the government responds to the consultation and legislation passes. This avoids building a model that national rules may change, but reformed support is not expected before September 2029, and current duties and waits continue meanwhile.
  • Alternative: Buy more assessment and therapy capacity. Expand contracts with NHS or private providers instead of employing staff. This may be quicker to start but can cost more per hour and depends on a limited supply of specialists.
  • Alternative: Prioritise local specialist and inclusion places. Focus on more inclusion centre and special school places to reduce costly out-of-city placements and individual tuition. This needs capital and takes longer, and does not by itself shorten assessment waits.

The balance between options depends on facts not yet published: where in the assessment route waits build up, the cost per assessment and per therapy hour under each delivery model, local vacancy rates for specialists, the number and type of places needed, and how much of the new national Experts at Hand and Inclusive Mainstream funding Portsmouth will receive. National reform could also change which children need an EHC plan from 2029/30.

Delivery plan

Proposed sequence. No durations are proposed. The only sourced dates are the strategy refresh planned for January 2027, the end of the accounting protection on 31 March 2028, and the national expectation that reformed support begins no earlier than September 2029. All other timing is illustrative and would need agreement by the bodies involved.
StageTaskProposed leadDependencies and decisionsOutput
Start soonMap the assessment route stage by stage and publish anonymised waiting times at each stagePortsmouth City Council SEN service (proposed)—Published map of the route with typical waits and the reasons plans miss 20 weeks
Start soonPublish a short reconciliation of the grant reserve: why it grew to £11.5m by March 2024, what it has funded since, and the forecast to March 2028Portsmouth City Council finance director (section 151 officer) (proposed)Decision: Report to Schools ForumPublic paper reconciling year-end balances with high needs spending
Start soonAnalyse severe absence by school phase, recorded reason and SEN status with schools, without identifying childrenPortsmouth City Council education service with schools (proposed)—Anonymised analysis separating illness, unauthorised absence, reduced timetables and exclusion
Build nextAppraise employing versus commissioning educational psychologists, speech and language therapists and mental-health practitionersCouncil and integrated care board joint commissioning team (proposed)Depends on: Cost and vacancy data from the council and NHS providers · Decision: Schools Forum and Cabinet Member decision on the 2027/28 grant budgetCosted options with staff numbers, yearly cost, risks and a preferred approach
Build nextProduce a place-sufficiency plan for inclusion centres and special schools linked to out-of-city placement trendsPortsmouth City Council school place planning (proposed)Depends on: Capital allocations from the Department for EducationPlan stating places needed by type and year, with capital and running costs shown separately
Build nextAgree a shared quarterly progress report covering assessment waits, therapy waits, attendance and family feedbackSEND and alternative provision partnership board (proposed)—Agreed measures, definitions and reporting body
Longer termAdapt the plan to national reform once legislation and funding rules are settledPortsmouth City Council with partners (proposed)Depends on: Education for All Bill and government consultation responseRevised plan covering transition of existing EHC plans from September 2029 onwards if the published timetable holds
Longer termIndependent evaluation of whether the chosen options shortened waits and reduced severe absenceTo be agreed; an independent evaluator is proposed—Published evaluation against the baselines above

A first practical step: A councillor or Schools Forum member could ask for a paper reconciling the grant reserve history and the high needs shortfall to be added to a future Schools Forum agenda. This needs no new spending and would test whether a costed plan is wanted.

Costs and funding

One-off costs
Not costed. Preparing the plan would mainly use existing officer time; no estimate has been published.
Recurring costs
Not costed. Extra employed or commissioned specialists would be continuing revenue costs, mostly from the high needs budget, which already has a funding shortfall of £8.53m in the 2026/27 budget.
Capital or revenue
Staffing and therapy are revenue. New inclusion or special places are capital, with separate running costs.
Funding status
No funding is identified for new provision. The £8.01m reserve at 31 March 2026 is committed to the 2026/27 shortfall. Portsmouth's share of national Experts at Hand and Inclusive Mainstream funding was not found.
Affordability
Headroom is very limited: the latest monitoring (June 2026) forecasts a £1.05m deficit by March 2027, and any deficit left at March 2028 could fall partly on the council's general budget, according to the council.
Costing still needed
Cost per completed assessment; cost and availability per therapy and psychology hour by delivery model; vacancy rates; place numbers by type with capital and running costs; local allocations of national reform funding; sensitivity to EHC plan growth.

Benefits, risks and trade-offs

Possible benefits: Faster assessment would mean support decisions arrive sooner. Earlier speech, language and mental-health help could reduce how many children need specialist placements, though this is not yet shown for Portsmouth. A costed plan would make choices between staffing, places and placements visible before the reserve and the accounting protection run out.

Risks:

  • Specialist staff are hard to recruit; the council's SEN support service already underspent in 2025/26 partly because of difficulty filling posts.
  • Recurring staffing commitments create continuing costs at a time when the high needs budget is already short.
  • National reform could change eligibility and funding from 2029/30, so some local investment may need redesign.
  • Absence has several causes, so better SEND support alone may not reduce severe absence.
  • Publishing waits by stage could identify children if groups are small; figures need suppression rules.

Who could gain or lose: Children with speech, language, communication and mental-health needs make up a larger share of Portsmouth's EHC plans than nationally and could gain most. Families able to challenge decisions may currently get help faster; a clearer route could narrow that difference. Shifting money between schools, early years and high needs could leave some mainstream schools with less.

Capacity: Delivery depends on scarce educational psychologists, therapists and mental-health practitioners, on NHS providers' capacity, and on SEN case officers. The council also faces general budget pressure and possible future reorganisation, which is under government review.

How to judge progress

Proposed measures. Gaps show where no baseline or reporting arrangement exists yet.
MeasureDefinitionStarting pointSource and areaHow often · who reports
New EHC plans issued within 20 weeksPlans issued within 20 weeks as a share of all new plans issued in the calendar year, excluding legal exceptions42.9% in 2025dfe-ehc-timeliness · Portsmouth local authorityAnnual · Department for Education
Severe absencePupil enrolments missing 50% or more of possible sessions3.55% in 2024/25dfe-absence-pa · State-funded schools in PortsmouthAnnual · Department for Education
Waiting time from referral to therapy or mental-health assessmentTo be agreed with NHS providers; median and longest waits by serviceNot published Gap: No published local waiting-time baseline was found; reporting would need agreement with the integrated care board and providers.None found · PortsmouthQuarterly (proposed) · Not agreed
Family experience of the assessment and support processTo be designed with Portsmouth Parent VoiceNo current baseline found Gap: No regular published survey was found in searches on 2 November 2026.None found · PortsmouthAnnual (proposed) · Not agreed
Dedicated Schools Grant balanceYear-end reserve or deficit carried forward£8.01m at 31 March 2026; forecast deficit £1.05m at 31 March 2027pcc-dsg-q1-2026-27 · Portsmouth City CouncilQuarterly monitoring to Schools Forum · Portsmouth City Council

Reassess when: Reassess when the government responds to the SEND reform consultation or the Education for All Bill is introduced, when Portsmouth's national reform funding is announced, or when the refreshed local SEND strategy is published.

Where things stand

What is known:

  • EHC plan timeliness was 42.9% in 2025, below England's 46.1%.
  • Severe absence was 3.55% in 2024/25, highest of Portsmouth, Southampton and Hampshire, and especially high in secondary and special schools.
  • Speech, language and communication and social, emotional and mental health needs make up a larger share of EHC plans than in England.
  • The grant reserve fell from £11.13m to £8.01m in 2025/26 and is forecast to become a deficit during 2026/27.
  • The national accounting protection for these deficits applies to financial years ending by 31 March 2028.
  • The national schools white paper was published on 23 February 2026; it is not yet law.

What is not known:

  • Where in the assessment route the delays occur.
  • How many educational psychologists and therapists work for Portsmouth children, and how many posts are vacant.
  • Waiting times for therapy and children's mental-health services.
  • Why the reserve grew between 2020 and 2024: the accounts do not separate high needs from other parts of the grant.
  • How much national reform funding Portsmouth will receive and when.
  • What the council's SEND Reform Plan, mentioned on its website, contains.

Decisions needed:

  • Whether to attach a costed option appraisal to the January 2027 strategy refresh.
  • How to cover the high needs shortfall in 2027/28 once the reserve is used.
  • Whether to employ or commission additional specialist capacity.
  • How many and which kinds of local places to plan for.

Existing work:

  • Portsmouth SEND and alternative provision strategy 2024 to 2029, with a refreshed strategy planned for January 2027: Current strategy in force; refresh in development with early consultation (as of 2026-11-02).
  • Dedicated Schools Grant 2026/27 budget and quarterly monitoring: Budget set February 2026, revised July 2026; June 2026 monitoring forecasts a £1.05m deficit by March 2027 (as of 2026-10-07).
  • St George's inclusion centre, 18 places: Included in council monitoring as opening from September 2026; opening not separately confirmed (as of 2026-10-07).
  • National schools white paper and SEND reform consultation: White paper published 23 February 2026; consultation closed 18 May 2026; no government response and no bill introduced at the Commons Library update of 11 September 2026 (as of 2026-11-02).
  • Local government reorganisation in Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton: March 2026 decision withdrawn on 7 September 2026; under review with no new decision announced by 29 October 2026 (as of 2026-10-29).

UK Facts context: Special educational needs in England (National picture for England; national reform is set by government, local delivery by the council and partners.) · Attendance and missing education (National absence trends; schools and the council act locally.)

Next review: When the refreshed Portsmouth SEND strategy is published (planned January 2027), when the 2027/28 grant budget goes to Schools Forum, or when the Department for Education publishes 2026 EHC plan data, whichever comes first.. Evidence last checked 2026-11-02.

Sources

Department for Education: New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks ↗ · Education, health and care plans: Requests for an EHC needs assessment received during the calendar year ↗ · Department for Education: Active education, health and care plans ↗ · Special educational needs in England: Pupils in all schools, by type of SEN provision ↗ · Special educational needs in England: National curriculum year by type of SEN provision and type of need ↗ · Department for Education: Severe absence — all school types ↗ · Pupil absence in schools in England: Absence sessions by reason ↗ · Portsmouth City Council Statement of Accounts 2024/25 (Annual Report) ↗ · Dedicated Schools Grant Budget 2026-27 (report to Cabinet Member, Children Families and Education, 12 February 2026) ↗ · 2025-26 Dedicated Schools Grant Outturn and 2026-27 Revised Budget (report to Cabinet Member, 21 July 2026) ↗ · Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) 2026-27 Quarter 1 Budget Monitoring and Revised Budget (report to Schools Forum, 7 October 2026) ↗ · Portsmouth City Council: General reserves — February budget forecast ↗ · Every Child Achieving and Thriving (schools white paper), with correction ↗ · SEND reform: putting children and young people first (consultation) ↗ · The Schools White Paper 2026: Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Reform (CBP-10550) ↗ · The Local Authorities (Capital Finance and Accounting) (England) Regulations 2003, regulation 30L (deficit relating to schools budget) ↗ · Review of local government reorganisation launched ↗ · Local government reorganisation: review update letters to council leaders ↗ · Ofsted reports: Portsmouth City Council ↗ · Portsmouth SEND and alternative provision strategy ↗ · Portsmouth SENDAP Strategy 2024 to 2029 (accessible Word document) ↗ · Pupil absence statistics: methodology ↗

Where earlier ideas went

  • school-support-plan (earlier 12-point plan): expanded. Same ID and title. The one-line now/next/longer-term steps became the delivery table; the baseline (42.9%, 3.54769%) is kept and re-verified; the cost line stays Not costed with named costing work.
  • send-costed-plan (earlier ten suggestions): restored. Restored into school-support-plan: options for an assessment team, employed versus commissioned specialists, speech, language and mental-health provision, and inclusion or specialist places appear under options and delivery; reserve history, absence comparison and need mix appear as re-verified baselines; the reorganisation point appears under existing work. Not carried forward: Dropped or corrected: the 'four-tier model and Inclusion Hub requirement' (the white paper uses universal, targeted including targeted plus, and specialist layers, and inclusion bases; 'Inclusion Hub' was not found); the claim that the high needs block was underspent (accounts do not separate high needs, and high needs overspent its allocation in 2025/26); the budgeted −£4.5m for 2026/27 (superseded by July and October 2026 revisions); the 'Hampshire model' hub (not verified); 'low single-digit millions a year' staffing cost (no checkable source); the argument about defending the surplus in reorganisation negotiations (speculative); 'DfE high needs stability grant' and 'schools condition allocation' funding routes (not verified).

Back to the top of this action

UK-wide context

UK FactsUK Facts · Deep diveSpecial educational needs in EnglandThe national picture ↗UK FactsUK Facts · Deep diveAttendance and missing educationThe national picture ↗

Sources