Bexley councillors defended the budget for special educational needs after opposition accused them of putting a “sticking plaster” over funding problems.

Councillor Stefano Borella quizzed council chiefs on the “real terms” funding pressures that schools were facing.

He said: “We heard the importance of education, but we have seen over a number of years is a pressure and a real terms cut to education funding.

“I attended schools forum in January and what we saw there was an unsustainable future plan for schools in the borough.

“A decision to top-slice funding from the schools block to deal with a shortfall in the budget for SEND provision for specialist services is just a sticking plaster, it’s not sustainable.”

SEND refers to children who have special educational needs and disabilities.

Last year it was reported that the number of children who need extra support is increasing at about 3 per cent a year, and is at a record high.

A charity in Bexley said in August that demand was so great that it struggled to provide enough services to match the growth.

At a meeting in January it was agreed to transfer £443,000 from the schools block to high needs funding in order to keep children in the borough and increase provisions.

Cllr John Fuller, cabinet member for education, said at a meeting on Wednesday evening: “Top slicing. Let me just say it is £1.2m less than it was last year, and it’s £1.3m less than it was the year before – and the reasons schools agreed to it was because we only wanted to take £0.4m away from them, they were pleased with that.

“The majority of people at that meeting all agreed – only two heads said they could struggle. All others agreed that if they were going to get the support that the SEND need, and the kids with more needs than others, then it needs to come from somewhere. If it’s paid jointly, then that’s where it will come from.”

A recent survey by the National Education Union suggested that SEND children across the country are not getting the right education support because of cuts.

A national survey, of more than 900 school staff, found that cuts affecting SEND pupils have been worse this year.

This comes following primary school placement day.  This year 2,892 applications were received from Bexley residents, with 89 per cent of children being offered their first preference.

Only 36 pupils did not get offered one of their preferred schools.