Special Educational Needs
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support her Department is providing to schools that are experiencing an increase in pupils with an EHCP.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
This government wants all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to achieve and thrive. We will set out our plans for SEND and alternative provision (AP) reform in a Schools White Paper this autumn.
We are increasing high needs funding by £1 billion in 2025/26, raising the total to over £12 billion to help local authorities and schools with rising costs for pupils with complex SEND.
The department has published £740 million in high-needs capital allocations for 2025/26 to expand SEND and AP places. This funding can be used to improve classroom accessibility, establish specialist facilities within mainstream schools, and create special school places for pupils with complex needs.
We are committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in schools, drawing on learning from programmes such as Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS).
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