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Written question asked by Patrick Spencer (Conservative) on Wednesday, 9 September 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 11 September 2026. It was answered by Georgia Gould (Labour) on Tuesday, 13 October 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Special Educational Needs: Suffolk

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of whether Suffolk will have sufficient specialist school places to meet the needs of pupils who are unable to have their needs met through the Government's proposed more inclusive mainstream education system.

Answer

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places, including for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), sits with local authorities.

The department is supporting local authorities to provide suitable school places for children and young people with SEND by investing at least £3.7 billion in high needs capital funding between 2025/26 and 2029/30.

In the 2025/26 and 2026/27 financial years, Suffolk has been allocated just over £9.4 million and just over £9.4 million respectively through High Needs Provision Capital Allocations.

This funding is expected to fund a transformative expansion of inclusion bases, as well as adaptations to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of mainstream settings. It can also be used to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.

We are also developing Specialist Provision Packages which will set out nationally consistent, evidence-based provision offers covering the full range of provision required by children at the specialist tier. Local authorities will be under a duty to forecast demand for the packages and commission sufficient placements to meet local need.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
28619
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Equality Special educational needs Suffolk
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk