More than £3 million is being invested to expand special needs provision in Wolverhampton. It is part of a record £850 million national boost to deliver more special needs places, backed by Stuart Anderson MP. The new funding for Wolverhampton will ensure that children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities or who require alternative provision have school places that meet their needs.
Stuart welcomed the investment, which is the final part of a £2.6 billion investment in high needs capital between 2022 and 2025. The funding is triple the investment compared to just 3 years ago. Along with the funding already provided, it means the Government has delivered over 60,000 new places for children with SEND or who require alternative provision since 2010, ensuring every child gets the right support at the right time. The high needs revenue budget in 2024-25 has increased by over 60% since 2019-20 to over £10.5 billion.
Stuart said that the £3 million funding for Wolverhampton will help to deliver new places in mainstream and special schools, as well as other specialist settings, and will also be used to improve suitability and accessibility of existing buildings. This will provide specialist support for children with autism, learning difficulties, mobility difficulties, and more to meet their extra needs, including extra encouragement in their learning, help communicating with other children and support with physical or personal care difficulties, such as using the toilet or getting around the school safely. It will help to ensure that families have access to localised, specialised support in high-quality environments that their children need to fulfil their potential.
Stuart Anderson MP said: “Every child deserves a world-class education that meets their needs. That is why I welcome this £3 million boost for Wolverhampton to ensure that young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) or require Alternative Provision (AP) have school places that meet their needs. This funding will improve the accessibility of buildings and provide more specialist support for children with additional needs, ensuring that every child receives a high-quality education to fulfil their potential.”
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: “All too often I hear from parents with children who have special educational needs having to fight to get the right support. That’s why this Government has a plan to deliver 60,000 more places that meet the needs of these pupils and their families. We are taking another step to ensure our education system provides all children with the very best start in life. We are making sure no parent has to battle to get the right type of school to meet their needs, and improving the school estate so all children are taught in the best classrooms for generations to come.”