The government has announced a £3bn investment to create up to 60,000 bespoke places within mainstream state schools for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send). Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the scheme would 'transform lives' by ensuring local schools can meet the needs of Send pupils.
The funding will be partly sourced from the suspension of a group of planned free schools, saving an estimated £600m, with the remaining £2.4bn coming from November’s budget. The Department for Education (DfE) aims to reduce the need for children to travel long distances for suitable provision.
The announcement comes as figures show a record 25,002 Send appeals were heard by tribunals in 2024-25, an 18% increase on the previous year and the ninth consecutive rise. The backlog of cases stood at 15,000 in September, with 99% of tribunal decisions favouring families.
Phillipson said the reforms, to be detailed in a schools white paper early next year, will 'shift children with Send from forgotten to included'. Schools Minister Georgia Gould is conducting regional forums to gather feedback from parents, charities and school leaders.
Madeleine Cassidy, chief executive of the Independent Provider of Special Education Advice, described the tribunal figures as exposing 'the scale of unlawful decision-making in local authorities' and called for systemic reform. The DfE confirmed that 15 special and alternative provision free schools will continue as planned, while 77 other projects may be completed by local authorities.
