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Council welcomes £11million new investment into SEND services

Suffolk County Council is set to receive an additional £10.9million to create new specialist places for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
Published: 27 Mar 2024

The money, announced by the Department for Education, will be used to create new places in mainstream and special schools, as well as other specialist settings, and to improve the suitability and accessibility of existing buildings.

This new funding is in addition to the £55million already invested by Suffolk County Council into creating more than 1,000 new places for students with SEND. Nearly 750 of these places are now open and in use.

The Department for Education also announced it was funding a new SEND school in Suffolk. The Unity Schools Partnership has been selected to sponsor the new Unity SLD School which will provide 126 vital new places in Suffolk for pupils aged between three and 16 with severe learning difficulties. Earlier this month, the Chancellor also announced a new Alternative Provision (AP) free school, the SENDAT New AP Suffolk Free School, in West Suffolk.

“An additional £10.9million is significant news for Suffolk’s SEND services. “We know the life-changing impact that a successful special school can have on pupils and families and are committed to making sure that every child in Suffolk reaches their potential.”
Cllr Andrew Reid
Andrew Reid, Cabinet Member for Education and SEND, said:

Overall councils in the East of England will receive a cash injection of over £83million to create new places for young people with special educational needs and disabilities or who require alternative provision.

Plans for the how the money will be spent will now be drawn up with education partners.

Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing, David Johnston said:

"This government has been creating tens of thousands of special school places so that children who can't have their needs met in mainstream schools get the right type of school place to meet their needs.

“This transformative funding will put local authorities in the East of England on track to support all children to reach their potential, and get the right support, in the right place at the right time.”