Committee publication · Correspondence · 15 April 2026
Correspondence from Flintshire County Council, relating to cross-border education, dated 11 March
From: Welsh Affairs Committee
Summary
Flintshire County Council responds to the Welsh Affairs Committee on cross-border education challenges. The council identifies significant friction in specialist provision, ALN/SEN assessment thresholds, safeguarding protocols, health service coordination, and school admissions where children cross the Wales-England border, particularly with Cheshire West and Chester. Different legislative frameworks, funding models, and inter-agency communication gaps create operational strain and disparities in pupil support.
Key findings
- ALN specialist placements across the border incur disproportionately high per-pupil transport costs; mainstream, Welsh-medium, and faith-based cross-border attendance can conversely reduce costs where nearest suitable school is in England.
- Welsh thresholds for ALN identification and statutory duties (from first point of need identification) differ substantially from English SEN thresholds (protection only post-EHCP); Flintshire schools provide higher support levels without equivalent remuneration.
- Education Psychology services face blurred responsibility boundaries at pre-statutory and statutory stages with English LAs; FCC EP resources diverted to assess learners who would not meet English EHCP thresholds.
- Safeguarding and child protection protocols, reporting processes, police force jurisdictions, and data-sharing systems differ between Wales and England; headteachers lack cross-border training and integrated access to support.
- Health service coordination breaks down when pupils attend school in one country but are registered with GP and health services in another; NHS commissioning by GP practice location creates service gaps and handover delays.
Tone
FactualTopics
Key actors
Flintshire County Council, Cheshire West and Chester Council, Welsh Affairs Committee, Ruth Jones MP, Dave Hughes, Claire Homard, Alder Hey Hospital, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Notable line
“Flintshire settings are likely to be providing a higher level of support without appropriate remuneration.”
Key Quotes
“Where children with Additional Learning Needs require specialist provision across the border, journeys can be lengthy and, because numbers are small, per-pupil transport costs are disproportionately high.”
“There appears to have been an increase in requests from Cheshire West and Chester over the previous few years …”
“FCC funds EP assessment and resources high levels of additional adult support for learners with lower level of ALN in English schools than in Wales.”
“Safeguarding and child protection is a cross-border challenge as there are different processes for reporting concerns and different systems.”
“This is incredibly distressing for families and leaves them in limbo.”
“Learners may attend a setting across the border and be registered with a GP within a different country which can causes significant complications with regards to the support offer that NHS services will provide.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗