Five councils have struck deals worth at least £100m that will allow them to wipe out their massive special educational needs deficits (SEND).

Bury MBC, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, and Hammersmith & Fulham, Richmond upon Thames and Kingston upon Thames LBCs – which have some of the highest dedicated school grant (DSG) deficits - have agreed to make reforms to their SEND services and meet strict savings targets in exchange for the Department for Education bailing out their historic deficits.