(UK) Halton: $1.6M for 178 special needs places in local schools

Mar 9, 2026, Chiefs poised to back new SEND places at 14 Halton schools | Runcorn and Widnes World

Scores of new school places for children with special educational needs in Halton could be created if plans are given the green light.

Halton Council has been given £1.2m [$1.6M] in Government cash to expand provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The money is from the high needs provision capital allocation (HNPCA) grant and unlike revenue grants – which go on things like wages for additional teachers – the money is intended for things like building work, such as new classrooms or internal reconfiguration.

The council put out a call to schools to see which would be interested in providing some of the places. And of the 18 which replied – 14 were short-listed.

This week the authority’s ruling executive board looks set ot approve a number of projects at mainly mainstream schools which would see at least an additional 178 SEND school places created.

Depending on the school, places would be focussed on things like speech and language, cognition, autistic spectrum, mental health and social/emotional needs.

A report to the board said: “Officers have undertaken visits to those schools to establish their requirements in terms of capital investment with a view to progressing to feasibility stage with those proposals.”

If the school currently does not provide SEND places, statutory consultations must first take place before work can begin, even if chiefs sign off the decision this Thursday, March 12.

The report said an increase in Halton-based provision would see costs of providing transport to placements outside the borough ‘significantly decrease’.

It concluded: “Through this additional offer of specialist educational provision and support, Halton resident pupils will have access to provision in-borough where previously they may have attended out of borough provision which is costly.”