Councils are set to benefit from a £50million funding boost to create additional school places and state-of-the-art facilities for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), giving families more choice and helping to meet increasing demand.

Alongside this, the Government has provided £680million to create 40,000 more good school places in primary and secondary schools, building on the 825,000 new school places created since 2010. The funding boost comes as new analysis shows 91 per cent of school places created last year were in good or outstanding schools.

The additional investment in school places for children with additional needs announced this week (Tuesday 29 May) builds on the £215million fund announced last year to ensure children with SEND had access to a good school place. Today’s boost could help create around 740 more special school places and provide new specialist facilities to support children with complex needs, such as sensory rooms and playgrounds with specialist equipment.

The combined investment is part of the £23billion being spent by the Government between now and 2021 to ensure every child regardless of their needs, background or circumstances has access to a good school place so they will be able to fulfil their potential.