Welsh Government would deny pupils in Wales millions of pounds worth of support if consequential funding is not ring-fenced, school leaders have warned today.

Wales is due to receive more than £500 million* in consequential funding via the Barnett Formula thanks to the major investment announced for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision in England.

But Welsh Government has refused to confirm it will actually pass the money on to schools.

School leaders say it would be fundamentally unfair if children in England benefit from increased investment in additional support while Welsh learners miss out.

NAHT Cymru has today launched an urgent campaign demanding that every pound of the new investment is fully allocated to Additional Learning Needs (ALN) provision in Wales, as intended.

The campaign comes as Welsh Government are expected to announce their spending decisions in a supplementary budget within days.

Laura Doel, National Secretary of NAHT Cymru, which represents leaders in the majority of schools in Wales, said:

“There is a real risk that the funding generated by SEND investment in England could be absorbed into wider spending pressures rather than directed to the ALN system for which it was intended.

“A historic opportunity to strengthen vital support for children and young people with additional learning needs could be lost if the funding is diverted elsewhere, meaning Welsh pupils would be worse off than English.

“This comes at a time when schools and local authorities across Wales are facing unprecedented financial pressures linked to supporting learners with additional learning needs. ALN expenditure has more than doubled over the last decade, rising significantly faster than available funding.

“The Welsh Government has repeatedly stated its commitment to delivering successful ALN reform. The forthcoming supplementary budget is an opportunity to demonstrate that commitment in practice.

“If this funding is diverted elsewhere, families and pupils will rightly question why money generated specifically through investment in additional learning provision has not been used to strengthen Wales’ own ALN system.

“This is ultimately a question of fairness. Pupils with additional learning needs in Wales deserve the same commitment and the same level of ambition as children elsewhere in the UK. Welsh children with additional learning needs should not be left behind.

“The decisions being taken now will have lasting consequences for children and young people across Wales. Ministers have a clear choice. They can use this funding to provide desperately needed relief to a system under severe strain, or they can allow a historic opportunity to pass by. We are urging them to act.”

As part of the campaign, school leaders across Wales are being encouraged to contact the key decision makers on the budget directly – First Minister Rhun Ap Iorwerth, Finance Minister Elin Jones, Local Government Miniter Sian Gwenllian and Education Minister Anna Brychan – asking them to support three clear requests:

• The full consequential funding arising from SEND spending in England should be allocated to ALN provision in Wales.
• The funding should flow through to local authorities and schools that are delivering support on the ground.
• The funding should be ring-fenced to ensure it is used for ALN and cannot be diverted to other spending priorities.

* £322 million in 2026–27 and £197 million recurrent from 2028–29