For each of the last five calendar years (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025) could you please provide me with the following:
1) The total number of private special school providers used by the local authority for SEND placements.
We do not the information relating to every placement and the number of individual placements throughout each calendar year.
We can confirm that there over 10,000 Active EHC Plans and to ascertain the individual placements for every child would take more than 5 minutes per child therefore in excess of the appropriate time limit of 18 hours. This information is therefore exempt from disclosure pursuant to section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
2) The number of children the local authority provides places for in state special schools.
We do not collate data for all placements throughout the year but this public census information can be found at Census
3) The total yearly cost to the local authority of using state special school providers.
Please see the table below:
| £’000 | |
| 2021-22 | 34,862 |
| 2022-23 | 38,017 |
| 2023-24 | 42,962 |
| 2024-25 | 48,366 |
| 2025-26 – Forecast | 63,878 |