There were 8,000 more secondary school pupils in special schools in England than places available for them last year, according to Department for Education (Dfe) figures – a rise of 25% in 12 months. About two-thirds of these schools were at or over capacity in 2023-2024, despite the number of special school places rising by 5,000. On Thursday, the government said £740m of funding investment it announced in December will create 10,000 new school places for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) within mainstream schools. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said it will help plug “the significant gaps in provision”. An estimated 1.7 million school-aged children have special educational needs and disabilities in England.
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