More children with special educational needs may have to go to schools outside of Slough next year, the council has warned.

An increase in applications for help with special educational needs and a backlog in processing them means Slough Borough Council may have to find school places out of the borough.

Council documents warn: “Where increasing numbers place pressure on provision this will increase the number of out of borough placements.”

The warning comes in an update on the council’s schools budget, which is separate to the rest of its spending. It says spending on special educational needs this year is so far on track – but could soon come under pressure.

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The update says there is a backlog in processing education, health and care plans (EHCPs). These set out what the council needs to do to meet a child’s special educational needs each year. The report also says there has been a ‘marked increase’ in new applications for EHCPs.

Adding to the pressure, it says annual reviews of EHCPs are finding many children need increased support.

Taken together, these issues mean there is ‘an acknowledged, and as yet unquantified pressure’ on the special educational needs budget.

Councils prefer to find places for children with special educational needs within their own boundaries. This can include at mainstream schools with special educational needs facilities or at specialist schools.

Keeping children in the borough means pupils don’t have to travel as far every day and is less expensive for the council as it won’t have to pay as much for their transport.

But if there are not enough spaces for every child who needs support, the council may have to find places for them outside of Slough.

This can mean having to pay for private specialist schools as well as increased transport costs. The council update says this would ‘increase the forecast significantly’ for its overall spending on special educational needs.

The warning came in an update to the council’s schools forum – which brings together councillors, council staff and school headteachers – on Thursday, October 17.

It echoes similar problems faced by other councils across the country which are also struggling to fund an increase in demand for special educational needs support and increased costs for services.

The warning also comes after Slough Borough Council had to rush through an urgent plan to build four new classrooms at Arbour Vale School earlier this year.

Council leaders agreed in June this year to build the four new classrooms by September to make sure there were enough spaces in Slough for 40 children with special educational needs.

Writing in the Observer last week, Slough Borough Council leader Dexter Smith said the council had taken ‘swift and bold action to provide additional places for children and young people with special educational needs’.