£83 million funding to create new school places for SEND children in the East
It will be used to create new places in mainstream and special schools
Councils in the East of England are getting a cash injection of over £83 million to create new school places for young people with special educational needs and disabilities or who require alternative provision.
The funding will be used to create new places in mainstream and special schools, as well as other specialist settings.
It will also be used to improve the suitability and accessibility of existing buildings.
The government says this will provide specialist support for children with autism, learning difficulties, mobility difficulties and more to meet their extra needs, including extra encouragement in their learning, help communicating with other children and support with physical or personal care difficulties, such as using the toilet or getting around the school safely.
The funding is part of an £850 million investment being made to councils across England, forming the final part of £2.6 billion committed by the Government to improve provision between 2022 and 2025.
When combined with places already being created by the special free schools programme, it's thought this funding will create over 60,000 new places across the country.
"Transformative funding"
Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing, David Johnston said: "This government has been creating tens of thousands of special school places so that children who can't have their needs met in mainstream schools get the right type of school place to meet their needs.
“This transformative funding will put local authorities in the East of England on track to support all children to reach their potential, and get the right support, in the right place at the right time.”
Special free schools in the region
It comes as two trusts have been selected to run special free schools in the East of England, providing 247 new school places.
Oak Bank School Trust has been selected to run Biggleswade SEMH Academy which will provide 130 places in Bedfordshire for pupils aged five to 19 with social, emotional, and mental health needs.
The Unity Schools Partnership has been selected to sponsor the new Unity SLD School which will provide 126 new places in Suffolk for pupils aged three and 16 with severe learning difficulties including communication needs, hearing and vision impairment.
Dr Tim Coulson, Chief Executive of Unity Schools Partnership, said:
“Congratulations to the trust special schools’ staff for giving the department the confidence to approve the trust to open this new special school.
“It will be a little sister to The Bridge School in Ipswich, also a school for children with severe learning difficulties, which provides excellent education for children who most need excellence.”
Earlier this month, the Chancellor also announced 20 successful applications for new Alternative Provision (AP) free schools, including the SENDAT New AP Suffolk Free School in Suffolk and Olive AP Academy in Thurrock.