Government announces £280m funding to help improve accessibility in schools
Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will benefit from a £280 million investment from the UK Government to improve accessibility in schools.
Allocated to councils in England, the money could be used to install various assistive devices, such as ceiling hoists, ramps or handrails, to support children with SEND in school. It could also be used to contribute to the cost of a new, purpose-built special school.
This highlights that the government is increasingly emphasising the importance of assistive technology in helping people be more independent, which is good news for suppliers and manufacturers of these products.
Councils will receive the funding to create new places in schools, academies, colleges and early years settings. The funding will improve existing provision to create modern, fit-for-purpose spaces suited to a wider range of pupil needs.
Minister for the School System Baroness Berridge said: “It is so important that all children and young people, whatever their background, are able to attend a good school that helps them thrive and gives them the building blocks they need to go on to fulfil their potential.
“For pupils with more complex needs or disabilities, it is especially important that the right facilities and support are in place at whatever school they attend, so they can learn in a modern, adaptable environment.
“This funding will help councils provide targeted support to level up outcomes for some of their most vulnerable pupils.”
The investment, which represents a significant single-year increase in high needs capital investment, follows £365 million allocated through the Special Provision Capital Fund to create places and improve facilities for pupils with SEND across 2018 to 2021.
Additionally, the funding adds to the government’s programme of work to level up outcomes, including the ongoing SEND Review, which is looking at ways to make sure the system is consistent, high-quality and integrated across education, health and care.
The £280 million cash injection is for the financial year 2021-22 to support the provision of high needs places needed by September 2022. Up to an additional £20 million will be used to support High Needs capital projects in a small number of the local authorities facing the highest Dedicated Schools Grant deficits.
Last year, the Department for Education (DfE) announced that up to 3,000 new school places were going to be created for children with SEND, providing tailored support and specialist equipment.
