The government has announced a £3 billion package to create up to 60,000 places for SEND children in mainstream state schools, in a bid to support the growing numbers of children facing learning difficulties.
The money will be freed up by pausing the development a group of free schools, which will save £600 million. The rest will be found spending outlined in the recent budget.
Transformational expansion
Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, said the proposals were a “transformational expansion of specialist, calm learning space in mainstream schools”.
The announcement comes ahead of a white paper, due to be published in January, that will outline further the government’s plans for SEND.
Phillipson said: “A child’s background should not determine where they end up. Education is the route to opportunity, and opportunity should be for every child, regardless of their individual needs and circumstances.
“For too many families, the reality has been very different, but this government will fix the broken education system for children and young people with SEND by making sure that their local school is also the right school.”
She added that the new system would “shift children from forgotten to included”.
“This £3 billion investment will transform lives. It will open the door to opportunity for tens of thousands of children with SEND, giving them the chance to learn, belong and succeed in their local community,” Phillipson said.
Rising SEND challenges
The growing challenges of SEND provision were highlighted recently by figures showing that legal action by parents over their children’s special needs provision have continued to soar.
The Ministry of Justice said the number of SEND appeals heard by tribunals rose for the ninth year in a row to 25,002 in 2024-25, an 18% rise on the previous year.
It is estimated that 460,000 children and young people in England have special needs provision through education, health and care plans (EHCPs).
investment in buildings is only one part of the picture – the government must now ensure there are sufficient specialist teachers
The 60,000 special needs places will include 10,000 included in special schools within the free school projects paused by the DfE.
The department said just 15 special and alternative provision (AP) free school projects would continue as planned but local authorities would be given the option to complete the remaining 77 projects or receive equivalent funding to deliver SEND places.
Uncertainty for schools
Meg Powell-Chandler, the director of the New Schools Network, said: “We regret the decision to cancel a number of projects, and remain concerned that uncertainty persists for 77 vital special and AP free school proposals that would provide much-needed, high-quality specialist places.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, welcomed the additional investment in specialist provision.
He added: “Of course, investment in buildings is only one part of the picture – it is just as important that the government now ensures there are sufficient teachers and leaders with the right level of specialist training to work with those children and young people.
“It must also ensure that the existing school estate receives the funding it needs, with so many schools, both mainstream and special, requiring urgent remedial works, and that those schools are adequately funded and well supported by sufficient health and care services, so that they can ensure every pupil succeeds and thrives.”
