Council denies climbdown over cash clawback row

A council has denied making a climbdown after plans to take money from schools to plug a hole in its special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) budget were scaled back.

West Berkshire Council sparked a row in July when it said it planned to repurpose £2.85m of funds raised by eight schools.

In the weeks the followed, the council admitted it acted "hastily" with the decision, and now it has said it will only take money from two of the schools.

Council leader Jeff Brooks said: "This is not a climbdown... it's a review."

He said now the council had spoken to the schools in question, they could see what funds were already committed to projects including repairs.

Of the eight schools initially selected for the clawback, six will now pay nothing.

Curridge Primary School will need to pay "a very small amount", but Mr Brooks said they were visiting the school next week and would see "what we can do to help".

Brookfields School will need to pay back £1.5m, but Mr Brooks said the council would also fund the school's accessibility and classrooms projects, meaning there would be "no net effect" on the school's finances.

Across the country, the deficit in the SEND budget stands at £5b, which the previous government allowed councils to build up under a special agreement.

The agreement is set to end in April 2026, at which point Mr Brooks said the government would need to step in to avoid "an awful lot of" councils going bankrupt.

He said the money they still planned on taking from schools would make a "dent" in their SEND deficit and show the government "we are trying".

Minister for school standards Catherine McKinnell said children with SEND had been "let down by a system that is not working".

"We are committed to improving inclusivity and expertise within mainstream schools, as well as making sure special schools cater to those with the most complex needs," she said.

She said the government would "act as quickly as possible to ensure that every child gets the best start in life".

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