£740 million for new SEND places at schools

The government has announced £740 million will go towards creating 10,000 new school places designated for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

This money will go towards delivering school adaptations, expanding specialist units in mainstream schools, as well as creating new places in specialist schools, which will allow more children to reach their full potential at schools closer to their homes.

Currently, fewer than one in ten mainstream schools have SEN units or resourced provision — specialist facilities that provide more intensive support for pupils with SEND.

New figures show that between 2010 and 2024, the number of children with education, health and care plans (EHCPs) being educated in independent special schools increased from 7,000 to 26,000. New data shows an escalating gap of 8,000 places in state special schools.

This accompanies £1 billion investment to fund 44,500 places in mainstream schools needed by 2028, helping meet current and future demand across the country.

Bridget Phillipson, education secretary, said: “As part of our Plan for Change, we want every family to have access to a good local school for their child, breaking the link between children’s background and their opportunities in life.

“This investment is a big step towards delivering not only enough school places, but the right school places, supporting all children and particularly those with SEND, and plugging the significant gaps in provision we inherited.

“This investment will give children with SEND the support they need to thrive, marking the start of a turning point for families who have been fighting to improve their children’s outcomes.”

Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council, for example, had a shortage of specialist classrooms in local mainstream schools for children with SEND, leaving them no choice but to attend schools far from home.