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The funding, which was approved alongside the County Council budget on 13 February 2025, will enable additional specialist and enhanced education provision for children and young people with SEND.

This investment will create additional education provision in ´óÐãÊÓƵ, improve local access to support, and help reduce the strain on the council’s already stretched budget.

The £30.1 million will be used to make changes to mainstream schools to make them more accessible; create more nursery places for pre-school age children with complex needs; develop SEND units attached to mainstream schools; create more specialist education places; and improve the options for young people aged 16+ to access further or higher education.

To find out more details about the additional provision being developed, please refer to the SEND Provision Plan.

Councillor David Chambers, Cabinet Member for Education, said: “There is a growing need for suitable education provision and support for children and young people with SEND. This significant investment will support us to provide more education provision in ´óÐãÊÓƵ and reduce reliance on high-cost placements. Most importantly, it will create better opportunities for children and young people with SEND. We are actively listening to parent carers of children with SEND, young people and professionals to ensure their voices shape the improvements we make and understand that access to local education provision that meets their children’s needs is a major concern across the county, and we are committed to improving this as a priority."

This investment marks a major step forward in ensuring children and young people with SEND receive the support they need within their local communities.