(UK) Govt to spend $4B to add "tens of thousands of specialist places in mainstream schools"
- The end of childhood
- 7 days ago
- 2 min read
Dec 12, 2025, tes Magazine: SEND spending favours mainstream ‘at expense of special schools’
Leaders question government decision to drop special and alternative provision free schools amid pressure for specialist places
The government announcement that up to 77 free school projects could be dropped risks favouring mainstream provision “at the expense of special schools”, sector leaders have warned.
The Department for Education has revealed that 15 out of 92 special and alternative provision (AP) free schools in the pipeline are definitely going ahead as planned.
But up to 77 projects could be scrapped, with money instead going to councils in those areas to use for providing the same number of specialist places.
This is definitely happening for at least 18 special and AP free schools where a multi-academy trust had not yet been chosen to run the school. In the remaining cases, councils will decide whether to proceed with a free school or to receive funding directly to create places.
The announcement came alongside the department revealing that it planned to invest £3 billion [$4B] over four years, which it said would create tens of thousands of specialist places in mainstream schools.
It has also revealed that it is now “minded to cancel” 28 out of 44 mainstream free school projects which had been under review.
Leaders raise concerns
Special-school leaders affected by the announcement on special and AP free schools have raised concerns about the impact on the sector.
Dr Nic Crossley, CEO of Liberty Academy Trust, which had been bidding to open a free school, warned that the announcement “fails to confirm what the plan is to support the ever-increasing complexity of need in specialist provision and the fact that the special free schools have also been put on pause for a considerable time”. . . .
Yesterday, a leader involved in a special school or AP free school project that is now in doubt, who asked to remain anonymous, told Tes there was a concern that councils would not proceed with schools but instead invest money in resource bases, which “can be substandard”.
A DfE spokesperson said yesterday that alternative funding was being offered as an option to local authorities to allow specialist places to be delivered more quickly and flexibly in response to local needs.
They added that the DfE expected local authorities to work openly and in collaboration with academy trusts to ensure the best outcomes.
Jane Harris, vice-chair of the Disabled Children’s Partnership, said: “We welcome any investment that increases inclusion in and accessibility of schools. But that must be matched by enough teachers, teaching assistants and access to therapists in mainstream to make these buildings function well for all pupils.
“It is essential that all staff are trained in SEND so that pupils aren’t siloed, their individual challenges are understood, and they can be full members of a school, achieving ordinary things like learning and making friends.”
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