A LACK of funding for special needs education has led to a “full-blown crisis” in schools and is harming provision for pupils, a teaching union warns today.

Nearly all school leaders in England believe the funding they receive for pupils with special education needs and disabilities (Send) is insufficient, a poll by school leaders’ union NAHT has found.

Many schools have been forced to reduce the number of teaching assistants, who provide individual support to Send pupils, or the hours they work.

The findings have been published on the second day of the annual NAHT conference in Newport, Wales.

General secretary Paul Whiteman said: “The blame lies squarely with the government, which has failed to provide anything like enough funding to enable schools, local authorities and wider services to meet this demand.

“Ahead of the general election, it is incumbent upon all political parties to pledge the system-wide investment needed to tackle this crisis head on.”

A Department for Education spokesman said it was providing more than £10.5 billion over the next year for children and young people with complex needs.