News

'Postcode lottery' for SEND children in early years

Early years providers across the country are facing a 'postcode
lottery' with local authority funding for children with special
educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in their care.

According to early years trainer Kathryn Stinton, a growing number of nurseries and childminders are facing difficulties obtaining funding from their local authority to pay for additional support for children with emerging and identified SEND. This includes funding for children with and without Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans.

In extreme cases, some settings are having to turn children with SEND away because the settings are unable to obtain funding from their local authority and can't afford to provide the support themselves.

This means some children are potentially missing out on the free 15 hours of childcare they are entitled to, says Ms Stinton, who has launched a campaign encouraging affected providers and parents to contact the Department for Education and their local MP about their experiences.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included

  • Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month

  • Unlimited access to news and opinion

  • Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here