(UK) English councils each to receive part of $1.1B in SPED funding to create mainstream places

Mar 26, 2026, Bolton in line for slice of £860M boost to help with SEND | The Bolton News

Bolton is set to get a “very welcome cash boost” of a slice of £860M [$1.1B] to help fund special needs education across the borough.

This comes with the government having announced the first round of more than £3billion worth of funding across the country for inclusive classrooms for special needs children in schools.

The funding means every council in England will receive a total of £860M to create more spaces for children with special needs in mainstream schools.

Bolton Counil leader Cllr Nick Peel said: “It is a very welcome cash boost to what is quite a specialist area.

 “It’s an area that has been experiencing growing demand pressure so it’s incredibly important that the government has recognised this so that we can go on providing the specialist support to children who need it.”

The Department for Education says that every council that receives a share of the £860M funding will need to sign a written agreement to prioritise increasing places in mainstream schools. . . .

Council like Bolton will also need to make sure they use their funding to make sure they have enough special school and alternative provision space for youngsters with complex needs.

The Department for Education says that where councils choose to spend their funding on special school places, they should set out clear evidence-based reasons for why.

They will need to set out why this would better respond to people’s needs in their areas.

The government says this will help follow on from wide ranging reforms to SEND across the country.

The £860M for council's across England will come alongside £500M [$663M] per year to nurseries, schools and colleges around the country to help them deliver an improved inclusion practice.

The Department for Education says that it estimates the average primary school in England will receive around £14,000 [$19,000] through the Inclusive Mainstream Fund.

They say this will be on top of their core funding allocations, with the average secondary school receiving around £48,000 [$64,000] in 2026-27.