Labour’s new £3bn plan aims to revolutionise special needs education with 60,000 new spaces
The Labour government has announced a groundbreaking £3bn investment to tackle the ongoing crisis in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision across England. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson revealed that the funding will create up to 60,000 new places in local state schools, offering a vital lifeline to children who face significant educational challenges.
This ambitious plan is a crucial part of the government’s efforts to address the rising number of children requiring specialist education, especially amid increasing reports of mental health and social issues among students. The proposal, which targets mainstream schools, will help to integrate pupils with SEND into their local schools rather than requiring long-distance travel to more specialised facilities.
“This government will fix the broken education system for children and young people with SEND,” said Phillipson. “By ensuring their local school is the right school, we aim to lay the foundations of a new system that shifts children with SEND from forgotten to included, earning the confidence of parents.”
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The £3bn scheme will be partly funded by suspending several planned free school projects, saving an estimated £600m. The remaining £2.4bn will come from departmental spending outlined in the 2025 budget. One of the most notable changes is the commitment to ensuring that children with SEND can attend local schools rather than facing the stress of long journeys to specialist centres.
In recent years, the demand for SEND places has skyrocketed, with more and more parents appealing to tribunals after their children were denied appropriate educational support. According to figures from the Ministry of Justice, the number of SEND appeals heard by tribunals has risen for the ninth consecutive year, with a staggering 25,002 cases heard in 2024-2025. This marks an 18% increase compared to the previous year.
The Department for Education (DfE) is currently drafting a schools white paper, expected to be released in early 2026, that will provide further details on the plans for SEND reform. Schools Minister Georgia Gould has stated that the white paper will address multiple aspects of the education system, including the high rates of exclusion among SEND students, while continuing to value the role of specialist schools for children with the most complex needs.
“Children with special needs should be able to attend their local school alongside their peers,” said Gould. “This initiative aims to make schools inclusive by design, addressing the gaps that currently exist in SEND support.”
At present, around 460,000 children and young people in England have education, health, and care plans (EHCPs), which are legal documents that outline the support they need. However, many families report finding the process of securing EHCPs frustrating and bureaucratic, leading to an increasing number of appeals. Notably, 99% of cases heard by tribunals are decided in favour of the families, exposing a systemic failure in local authority decision-making.
Madeleine Cassidy, CEO of the Independent Provider of Special Education Advice, highlighted the scale of the problem, stating: “Children and young people with SEND are still being routinely denied the educational provision to which they are legally entitled. This is a systemic failure, and one that must be addressed in next year’s white paper.”
The new funding will come at the expense of some planned free school projects. Notably, a new sixth form in Middlesbrough, set to be a collaboration between Eton College and the Star Academy group, will be paused, alongside other special school projects. However, the government has confirmed that 15 special and alternative provision (AP) free schools will continue as planned.
Meg Powell-Chandler, Director of the New Schools Network, expressed concern over the cancellation of these projects, stressing the need for clarity on the remaining 77 proposals. “We regret the decision to cancel a number of projects and remain concerned that uncertainty persists for vital special and AP free school proposals,” she said.
With the government’s significant new investment, the education landscape for children with SEND is set to undergo a transformation. The creation of 60,000 new spaces in local schools will help meet the needs of thousands of students, giving them the opportunity to learn and thrive in inclusive educational settings. However, the delivery of these reforms will depend on continued collaboration between local authorities, schools, and the government, ensuring that every child receives the support they deserve.