New SEND places to create more inclusive classrooms in mainstream schools, delivering on Plan for Change to break down barriers to opportunity
The government has announced a £740 million investment to fund 10,000 new school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), as part of its Plan for Change. This initiative aims to support more children and young people to achieve and thrive in their local schools.
The funding will be used to deliver adaptations, expand specialist units in mainstream schools, and create new places in special schools. This will enable more children to succeed at a school close to their homes and families. Currently, fewer than one in 10 mainstream schools have SEN units or resourced provision, which provide more intensive support for pupils with SEND.
Between 2010 and 2024, the number of children with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) or their previous equivalent being educated in independent special schools increased from 7,000 to 26,000. The latest data shows an escalating gap of 8,000 places in state special schools.
The investment will ensure an inclusive environment in which all pupils can be supported. This includes creating breakout spaces where children can self-regulate or investing in assistive technology. This announcement comes alongside a significant £1 billion investment to fund 44,500 places in mainstream schools needed by 2028, helping to meet current and future demand across the country.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said, “As part of our Plan for Change, we want every family to have access to a good local school for their child, breaking the link between children’s background and their opportunities in life. This investment is a big step towards delivering not only enough school places, but the right school places, supporting all children and particularly those with SEND.”
Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council had previously faced a shortage of specialist classrooms in local mainstream schools for pupils with SEND, forcing them to attend schools far from home. After a 10-year expansion strategy, almost half of all schools in the area now have resourced provision, which has improved outcomes for young people and kept them educated locally.
Marie Ziane, Headteacher at Becontree Primary School in Dagenham, said, “At Becontree Primary School, all of our work stems from a shared belief and understanding that all children have learning, well-being and safeguarding needs. Capital funding, alongside support from the Local Authority, has been an essential part of realising our school’s vision for truly inclusive practice.”
The announcement comes as new data highlights the urgent need to reform the SEND system to save families from a potential gap in support stretching to tens of thousands of places. Sarah Clarke and Jo Harrison, Directors and Co-Chairs for the National Network of Parent Carer Forums C.I.C, welcomed the government’s commitment, saying, “Creating more inclusive environments—where children and young people with special educational needs can thrive alongside their peers—is a positive step forward.”
The reform to the SEND system will aim to ensure that children’s needs are identified and met earlier, and that early years and staff in mainstream settings across the country are equipped and supported to be inclusive of all children. Hayley Marshall, Headteacher at Iveson Primary School in Leeds, Yorkshire, said, “Opening The Aviary, a resourced provision, at Iveson Primary has had a significant positive impact for the whole school community, enabling us to provide specialist facilities with a high-quality, adapted curriculum for pupils with SEND, alongside our mainstream provision.”
The government’s mission to improve children’s life chances includes ensuring pupils and staff have access to high-quality and sustainable buildings. The department has also announced a £2.1 billion investment for the 2025-26 financial year to improve the condition of the school and sixth-form college estate in England.
Amanda Allard, Director at the Council for Disabled Children, National Children’s Bureau, said, “We welcome the announcement on how this investment can be used and the focus on Local Authorities supporting schools to ensure that disabled children and young people, and those with special educational needs, can have their needs met in inclusive local schools.”
