Government to Create 50,000 More SEND Places in Mainstream Schools with £3bn Investment
The UK government has announced plans to create 50,000 additional special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) places in mainstream England schools. This initiative involves an investment of £3 billion over three years, funded by cancelling some planned free schools. These funds will be allocated to councils to adapt existing school buildings and develop specialist spaces for SEND pupils, aiming to reduce travel and provide facilities such as breakout spaces and rooms tailored to autism or ADHD.
As part of this plan, 28 planned mainstream free schools will be cancelled, 16 sites are under review, and 77 proposed special free schools may still be built or have their funding redirected to create an equivalent number of specialist places elsewhere. This investment sets the groundwork for SEND reforms anticipated in a White Paper expected early next year, following an autumn delay.
Currently, nearly 1.7 million pupils in England receive SEND support, with numbers increasing annually. Transport costs for SEND pupils reached £1.5 billion in 2023-24. The announcement has drawn mixed reactions: Conservatives have criticized the cancellations as education vandalism; Labour and Liberal Democrats have called for reforms to accompany the funding; and the Local Government Association emphasized the importance of location for access to SEND services. Headteachers' unions have generally welcomed the funding but the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) cautioned about the need for sufficient specialist-trained teachers and leaders. Additionally, the Ministry of Justice reported 25,000 SEND appeals filed in 2024-25.
