Public Money for Public Good (SEND): Following the flow of special educational needs funding from source to impact

Co-led the Public Money for Public Good research project, examining how SEND funding is allocated and spent across the English education system. The study identified significant fragmentation, limited transparency, and misalignment between funding and need, highlighting the importance of early intervention, stronger accountability, and more equitable funding arrangements. Findings have informed policy recommendations aimed at improving the effectiveness, sustainability and impact of public investment in SEND provision.

To trace the flow of SEND funding from central government through local authorities and schools to external providers.
To examine how SEND funding is allocated, managed and spent across the education system.
To explore how funding decisions are made at different levels of the system.
To identify factors that influence the effectiveness, transparency and accountability of SEND funding.
To investigate the alignment between funding arrangements and levels of need.
To generate evidence-based recommendations to improve the equity, efficiency and sustainability of SEND funding and provision