£3billion cash injection to increase local school spaces for children with special educational needs in England
2 mins read
Friday 12 December 2025
The government has announced £3 billion to increase the number of mainstream places for children with special educational needs in England. The money is intended to created 50,000 new places, many in resource centres or units attached to existing mainstream schools, so that more children with additional needs can attend a school closer to home.
The money is for capital spending, so is not for extra resources for teachers, teaching assistants and specialists.
Anna Bird, CEO of Contact said: “We welcome any investment that increases inclusion in and accessibility of schools. But that must be matched by enough teachers, teaching assistants and access to therapists in mainstream to make those buildings function well.
“Contact would like to see clear guidance for specialist units to ensure they are appropriately funded, staffed and founded on the principle of inclusion. They should respect and protect every child’s right to a mainstream education, while not replacing the role of special schools.
“Done well, specialist units have the potential for more young people to feel included in their local school community. However, increasing them without suitable regulations or guidance could lead to them being entirely separate in teaching and location from the mainstream school, segregating pupils with SEN.”
In the Autumn, Contact ran some focus groups for parents about their experience of SEND units for their children. Parents reported that the bases their children used varied widely. From well-resourced, flexible provision, to under-funded hubs without qualified teachers or adequate therapy input.
