Samford Report February 2025
1

Primary School Deadline
Parents and carers have until Wednesday 15 January 2025 to submit an application to secure their child’s place at
a primary, infant or junior school for September 2025. Applications should be made for children born between 1
September 2020 and 31 August 2021 who are due to start primary school from September 2025.
An application for a full-time school place must be made even if a child is already attending a nursery class in an
infant or primary school, a pre-school or a family hub next to a school site.
If you are planning to move house, or you think your circumstances may change before September, it is still
essential to make an application on time using the child’s current address. Further information to help parents and
carers with this process is available at www.suffolk.gov.uk/admissions.
Applications should be made online as this will mean parents and carers will receive a confirmation of their
application. They can then log onto the online service on the National Offer Day (Wednesday 16 April 2025) to
see their school place offer and they will also be sent an email to confirm this offer on the same day.
School Travel eligibility is based on a child attending their nearest suitable school that would have had a place
available. This might not be the catchment area school. To find out more about SCC’s school travel policy please
visit www.suffolkonboard.com/schooltravel.
Applications can be made at www.suffolk.gov.uk/admissions, where further advice and guidance is also available.
Alternatively, parents and carers can call 0345 600 0981 for a paper application (CAF1).
Council’s budget prioritises vulnerable residents and essential services
Suffolk County Council has unveiled its proposed budget for 2025/26, with a strong focus on supporting
vulnerable residents across the county.
Under the proposals, the council’s net budget would rise by 6.7%, from £752.9 million in 2024/25 to £803.7
million in 2025/26. Key allocations include:
• £18.1 million extra for children’s services, ensuring continued support for young people and families in
need
• £35.2 million extra for adult care, aimed at addressing the growing demand for social care services.
To help fund these essential services, the council is proposing a 4.99% rise in Council Tax. This would consist of
a 2.99% increase in general Council Tax and an additional 2% specifically for adult care services.
This means the costs for a household would be:
• Band B property : £24.67 per week, a £1.17 increase from 2024 -25
(Band B properties are the most common in Suffolk)
• Band D property: £31.72 per week, a £1.51 increase from 2024-25.
The council will also receive £12.1 million of the additional £880 million allocated by the government for adult
and children’s social care. It also expects to receive £2.2 million of the £263 million earmarked for a new
Children’s Services Prevention Grant.
To balance the books, the council has also identified £10.9 million in additional savings, building on the £17.5
million approved last year. This brings the total savings to £28.4 million for the 2025/26 financial year.
The final budget will be debated and voted on at a Full Council meeting on Thursday, 13 February 2025.

Samford Report February 2025
2

Detailed report provides blueprint for changes to Suffolk’s SEND services
A report has been published that provides the most detailed assessment of need for SEND services in Suffolk and
will be used as a blueprint for immediate change.
The forensic 177-page document delves into current arrangements, future anticipated need and looks at gaps and
challenges in SEND provision. This assessment highlights the increasing demand for SEND services, the
challenges faced by families and professionals, and the importance of improving service provision to ensure
equitable outcomes for all.
As a result of this analysis, a series of recommendations have been made to further shape improvements to SEND
services. Known as the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Needs Assessment, the report will be
discussed at the Health and Wellbeing Board on Thursday 16 January.
Some of the key findings and recommendations in the report include:
• A significant rise in demand for SEND services, with projections suggesting further increases in the
coming years
• The importance of early intervention, timely diagnoses, and accessible services to address complex and
multiple needs
• Strategic priorities emphasising communication, transition support, and whole system improvements to
meet evolving demands.
The report also captures the voices of children and young people, parents, and practitioners to ensure lived
experiences inform future strategies. The Suffolk Parent Carer Forum was involved in collating the report.
The report and the recommendations made, will become part of the Local Area Priority Action Plan for widescale
SEND reform and improvement. This plan was a requirement following the Ofsted and CQC inspection in
November 2023.
The local area partnership which delivers SEND services is made up of Suffolk County Council, the NHS Suffolk
and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) and NHS Norfolk and Waveney ICB.