Timpson announces £215m to improve school SEND facilities

Children and young people aged up to 25 in mainstream schools, including academies, free schools and grammar schools, special units, special schools, early years settings, further education colleges or other provision will all benefit from the investment.

The Department for Education will allocate all local authorities at least £500,000, with more than half receiving at least £1m, except for the Isle of Wight and City of London, which are not included in the payout.

The DfE intends for the money to be used to expand and improve SEND provision by building specialised classrooms, purchasing equipment, or redeveloping existing facilities to make them accessible for children with specific needs. 

Children's minister Edward Timpson said the funding would ensure "no child is left behind".

"This government is determined to build a country that works for everyone - a country where every child has an equal opportunity to reach their full potential regardless of their background, and any? challenges they may face," he said.

"We've already made the biggest changes for pupils with SEND in a generation, but we want to go further and build on that success."

The Local Government Association's children and young people board chair Richard Watts said the money was "a step in the right direction", as demand for SEND support was rising.

"The original SEND reform programme was significantly underfunded by the DfE and we're pleased that the government has listened to our concerns," he said.

"However, it's unclear how this one-off payment links with the DfE's proposed changes to high-needs funding.

"This will reduce council and school flexibility to make additional funding available where there are rising demands for SEND support."

The announcement follows additional SEND funding made available by the government in January, when Timpson released £40m for local authorities to help them transfer to a new assessment system by April 2018.

By this date, all children with existing SEN statements must be evaluated through the new system of education, health and care plans.

The DfE expects local authorities to consult with parents, carers, schools and other members of the public about how it will spend the SEND allocation.