Ministers to give £3bn to state schools for special needs places

The government is to invest £3bn in creating bespoke places within local state schools for pupils with special needs, a key part of its efforts to grapple with England’s rising numbers of children with social and mental health issues.

- Richard Adams

The announcement by Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, to create up to 60,000 places within mainstream schools will be partly funded by the suspension of a group of planned free schools, saving an estimated £600m in the coming years. The remaining £2.4bn will come from departmental spending outlined in last month’s budget.

Phillipson said: “This government will fix the broken education system for children and young people with Send [special educational needs and disabilities] by making sure that their local school is also the right school.

“Ahead of our reforms next year, we're laying the foundations of a new system that shifts children with Send from forgotten to included and earns the confidence of parents.

“This £3bn investment will transform lives. It will open the door to opportunity for tens of thousands of children with Send, giving them the chance to learn, belong and succeed in their local community.”