An extra 100 places could open this year, and another 100 new places by September 2026, with future plans being drawn up. These places will be spread across Suffolk and tailored to meet need and demand.
The plan to be presented to cabinet next Tuesday <April 1> outlines how £18.6million could best be spent to support the growing population of SEND children and young people who need specialist education. Over the last five years, Suffolk pupils accessing special schools and units attached to mainstream schools has increased by over 40%.
The proposal includes £3million to be spent on small groups and units in mainstream schools from September 2025 and £12million to be spent on developing satellite units linked to existing special schools across Suffolk from September 2026. The remaining £3.6million is earmarked for further SEND provision.
In the past five years, 1,025 new specialist SEND places across Suffolk have been agreed.
Andrew Reid, cabinet member for education and SEND at Suffolk County Council, said:
“We know the importance of making sure that children are in the right provision for their needs at the right time. We haven’t always got this right and keeping up with the ask for new places is challenging, and costly, but we continue to revisit our plans and redirect resources when needed.
“It’s reassuring to see the level of support we get from headteachers who are willing to open specialist units linked to their mainstream schools. We remain thankful for these offers.”
On top of these new 200 places, future plans will continue to be drawn up. Using the recently published Joint SEND Needs Assessment report, work is underway to create a Joint SEND Sufficiency Plan, written in conjunction with health, social care, inclusion and transport. This will establish how future Department for Education SEND capital money should be spent.
These plans will be discussed at the cabinet meeting on Tuesday April 1 at 2pm. Read the Cabinet papers.
