The National Governance Association (NGA) has released the findings of its Annual Governance Survey 2025, launching at the National Governance Conference for Schools and Trusts 2025 on 10 July 2025, which has revealed that school finances and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision in England are now at crisis point.

With input from over 3,000 governors and trustees, the findings paint the starkest picture yet of the pressures facing schools and trusts. Nearly 70% of governing boards now say balancing the budget is their number one challenge – the highest figure in the survey’s 15-year history – while only 16% consider themselves financially sustainable in the medium to long term under current funding levels.

At the same time, the survey highlights that the SEND system is now “broken” and simply cannot wait any longer for reform. This year, 63% of governing boards name SEND as one of their top challenges, a huge leap from 37% last year, with over half (53%) making it a strategic priority. Yet schools report growing difficulties in accessing funding (84%) and securing Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans (67%) for children who need them.

Sam Henson, NGA Deputy Chief Executive, said:
“This year’s findings confirm what governing boards have been telling us for some time, school finances are no longer just under pressure, but at breaking point. Governing boards are grappling with rising SEND needs, safeguarding concerns, and growing demands to provide wider support to pupils and families, all while trying to remain fair employers and deliver high-quality education. Without urgent action, the system risks failing the communities it serves.”

Schools forced to make tough decisions.

The survey shows only 54% of schools and trusts are currently able to balance income and expenditure. Nearly half (45%) are reliant on efficiency savings just to keep going, with many considering difficult decisions:

50% are looking to restructure staffing.
55% are renegotiating contracts for goods and services.
36% are planning for falling pupil numbers, particularly in early years and primary, which adds further financial strain.

Meanwhile, nearly 60% of schools are now providing additional services beyond their core remit, with one in five under significant pressure due to this wider support role.

Urgent call for action

The NGA is calling for:

Urgent increases in high-needs funding to meet rising SEND demand now.
Reinvestment of funding released by falling rolls to secure fairer per-pupil and pupil premium allocations.
Immediate capital investment to address unsafe buildings.
A long-term plan to support the workforce and secure the future sustainability of schools and trusts.

Read more: Download the full Annual Governance Survey report to see the detailed findings and recommendations.

Other key findings

Despite these challenges, governance remains resilient:

85% of governors and trustees believe their board positively impacted their school or trust in the past year.
Safeguarding concerns continue to rise, particularly around bullying, neglect and domestic abuse, with nearly half of boards reporting an increase.
Staff wellbeing and workload (64%), pay (35%), and calls for flexible working remain pressing issues.
Interest in joining multi-academy trusts (MATs) is at a record high, with only 42% ruling it out.
Ethnic minority representation on governing boards has increased slightly to 7%.

Released during NGA’s flagship National Governance Conference for Schools and Trusts 2025, this survey is the most comprehensive of its kind and provides crucial insight into the reality facing England’s school governance community.