(UK) Leicester Council to spend $6M for SPED in mainstream schools

Aug 6, 2026, Leicester to create more specialist school places for children with SEND

HUNDREDS more children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) could benefit from specialist support in mainstream schools in Leicester.

Leicester City Council is proposing to use £4.4 million [$6M] of High Needs Capital funding to expand its successful Designated Specialist Provision (DSP) programme and deliver the next phase of provision across the city’s schools between 2026 and 2029.

High Needs Capital funding is money given to councils from central Government to build or update school spaces for children with SEND. A Designated Specialist Provision (DSP) is a specialist unit inside a mainstream school, giving extra support to children who need it but allowing them to still spend some time in mainstream classes.

There are already 23 DSP/SEND units in primary and secondary schools in Leicester, offering 337 places. The model has proven both high quality and high impact in terms of outcomes for children and young people with SEND, receiving positive feedback from schools, families and Ofsted inspectors.

Now, the council is proposing to create at least 162 further DSP places in mainstream primary and secondary schools.

The expansion comes in response to growing demand, and more schools have expressed an interest in hosting specialist provision.

As well as helping children achieve better outcomes, the investment is expected to deliver long-term financial benefits, by reducing the need for independent special school placements out of the local area. The city council estimates that creating 162 additional DSP places will help to manage growing pressures on the High Needs Block budget, avoiding around £8.1 million [$11M] a year in expenditure on independent specialist placements. . . .

Subject to approval, funding will be released to allow detailed feasibility work and site planning to begin immediately. Schools and projects would then be selected according to local demand and need, with the first new places expected to be delivered between September 2026 and September 2027 as part of a wider programme running through to 2029.

The proposals form part of Leicester’s wider SEND reform programme – details of which will be published on the city council’s website next month - and are aligned with the Government’s emphasis on strengthening inclusive education.