Education budget for county set for £92m deficit

Both Northamptonshire councils have a massive education budget deficit

The predicted overspend on schools in Northamptonshire is expected to reach more than £92m by March 2026.

Both West and North Northamptonshire Councils, run by Reform UK, said the unprecedented costs were due to the continued increase in demand and rising costs of provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send).

West Northamptonshire's deficit from last year currently stands at £21.4m and by the next school year it is expected to be £31.1 - a total of about £52.5m.

North Northamptonshire already has a £21.4m overspend, which is set to increase by £18.7m - a total of more than £40m.

The government's Dedicated Schools Grant is ringfenced for spending solely on schools and education.

Officers for the authorities said the deficit would have an adverse impact on the council's cashflow position and would impact on the resources available for investment, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Since West Northamptonshire Council was formed in 2021, it has seen a 70% increase in children with Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).

North Northamptonshire Council said the number of children who had an EHCP and are attending a mainstream setting had doubled over the past three years.

At a school forum meeting on Tuesday, Ben Pearson, West Northamptonshire's assistant director of education, said: "We are right in the middle of an increase in demand, an increase in complexity and cost.

"We are continuing to lobby for West Northants and the entire sector to get fair and equitable funding for all local authorities.

"A child just over the border in Buckinghamshire receives 60% more funding than a child in West Northants with an EHCP."

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "Despite our tough fiscal inheritance, this government has protected key education priorities through our Plan for Change.

"We are putting a further £3.7bn into schools' budgets, including increasing pupil premium to over £3bn for 2025-26 to provide additional support for those children that need it most."