DUDLEY Council said it is having to rethink plans after mainstream schools rejected a proposal to switch £1 million into education for children with disabilities.

The dismissal came as headteachers and governors said there is a complete lack of trust in the borough’s Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system. 

The council revealed in September that the cost of the service is predicted to overrun by £5 million this year. 

Figures sent out to schools during a consultation warned that figure could increase to £22 million by March 2024.

Cath Knowles, Dudley’s interim director of children’s services,  responding to its findings said: “We respect the outcome of the consultation with schools and will be looking at all funding options for this essential provision, with a view to making a decision about our next step in the coming weeks.

“We know that providing strong, consistent SEND support to our children and young people is essential.

“While we do have some good provision, we know that there are still areas where we can improve which is why we have committed to delivering on our new SEND strategy, which was approved in the autumn.”

A meeting of the Schools Forum held on Wednesday was told a recommendation to transfer funds from secondary education into the High Needs Block allocation was opposed by 90 per cent of respondents.

Out of ten responses, nine rejected the plan.

In their report to the forum, education officers said findings showed a lack of confidence: “Consultation sessions for all head teachers, governors, Schools Forum members and other stakeholders have been held as part of the consultation process on 25th October 2019 and 11th November 2019. 

“The consistent theme coming through from the discussions in the consultation events is that there is a complete lack of trust and belief in the SEND system.”

The consultation findings are a blow to education bosses who wanted to transfer 0.5 per cent of next year’s predicted £206 million mainstream schools’ budget into SEND’s High Needs Block funding. 

This would have been in addition to  £35 million the council is hoping it will get from the government for schooling children with disabilities.