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Councils Given £3bn to Create Thousands More Spaces for Send Pupils
£3 billion will fund 50,000 SEND places in mainstream schools, reducing travel for pupils and speeding local authority response to rising demand, Education Secretary says.
- On Thursday, the UK Government announced a £3 billion investment to create around 50,000 SEND places in mainstream schools in England via local authorities, running up to 2029/30 with first allocations for 2026/27.
- With demand rising, more than 1.7 million pupils receive SEND support, EHCP numbers rose 166% since 2015, and local authorities fund transport for around 180,000 pupils, urging local funding.
- Using freed capital, the Government will likely cancel 28 of 44 mainstream free schools, saving 600 million and enabling the creation of 77 proposed special free schools or equivalent specialist places.
- Councils say the investment should meet local need faster and reduce long-distance travel for pupils with SEND, while school leaders' union NAHT and headteachers' unions urged enough trained staff to support children with SEND.
- Education reforms are due next year, with funding laying groundwork for SEND reforms in the schools White Paper as SEND appeals hit a record 25,000 last year, the Ministry of Justice reported.
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£3bn announced to create ‘tens of thousands’ of school places for Send pupils
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the Government will make sure local schools are the right schools for children and young people with Send.
·London, United Kingdom
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£3 billion is being invested by ministers to create around 50,000 new school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
The funding will help mainstream schools create breakout spaces and support rooms for pupils with autism or ADHD who may feel overstimulated in classrooms. The Education Secretary says it'll mean children can attend local schools rather than travelling long distances The Lib Dem MP for Epsom and Ewell, Helen Maguire, tells us about the struggles SEND families
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Leaning Left4Leaning Right0Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution60% Center
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C 60%
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