(UK) Penn: Council okays $680K to expand SPED services in elem school; 50% increase in demand in 5yrs

April 29, 2026, BBC News: School gets 500k to expand special needs places

Half-a-million pounds will be used to expand a Wolverhampton school's special educational needs and disabilities (Send) service.

The city council will spend the £500,000 [$680K] on Springdale Primary School in Penn.

Under the plans, the schools existing scheme for pupils with speech, language and communication needs would be cut from 34 places to 18 and a new 20-place unit created from September. . . .

The demand for specialist school places in Wolverhampton has increased - the number of pupils with an education, health and care plans has risen by more than 50% in the last five years, from 2,185 in 2021 to 3,352 in 2026.

Autism spectrum disorder, speech, language and communication, and social, emotional and mental health are the most common needs, with all seeing year-on-year increases.

Speech, language and communication demand rose from 714 children in February 2025 to 809 at the same this year, council figures showed.

The authority said this need was increasing faster than places could be created, and they were forced to place children in independent provision in Wolverhampton as well as outside the city.

The average cost per child per year is about £76,000 [$103K], they added