Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will increase funding for the expansion of special school provision.

The government has allocated £265 million to help local authorities create new school places and improve existing facilities for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), in consultation with parents and providers. Many local authorities are using this to expand special schools or SEND units in mainstream schools.

Individual local authorities’ allocations are published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-provision-capital-funding-for-pupils-with-ehc-plans. This funding is for 2018 to 2021. Funding after 2021 will be determined via the Spending Review.

The government also establishes new special schools through the free schools programme. As of 1 November 2018 there were 34 open special free schools with a further 55 in the pipeline.