The government has unveiled a £3 billion funding package to expand support for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The investment, spread over four years, aims to tackle severe shortages in specialist places and ease pressure on families and schools.

Responding to the announcement, Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, described the move as “welcome news,” saying it marks a significant step toward addressing long-standing gaps in SEND provision.

According to Kebede, the funding will substantially increase the number of places in specialist settings, a change he believes could dramatically reduce lengthy waiting lists that cause “misery and deep anxiety for parents.” He also noted that the expansion should help curb the sector’s reliance on independent special schools, some of which he criticised for offering “a low standard of education” while placing a heavy financial burden on local authorities.

The government plans to create 50,000 new places across mainstream and specialist settings, a measure aimed at easing what Kebede called “desperate shortfalls and bottlenecks” in the system.

He emphasised that expanding specialist provision closer to children’s homes would reduce long daily commutes, ensure pupils are placed in appropriate settings and alleviate pressure on the already strained education workforce.

Teachers, leaders and support staff, Kebede said, are likely to welcome the investment, as the gap between pupils’ needs and available resources has become a growing source of concern.

Kebede also backed the government’s shift away from free schools in the context of declining pupil numbers, calling the move “entirely rational.” He argued that restoring greater flexibility to local authorities is essential for effective place planning and ensuring that local needs are met. Photo by Dscot018 at en.wikibooks, Wikimedia commons.