Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support councils (a) in West Dorset and (b) nationally to increase local special school places to reduce reliance on out-of-county placements for children with Education, Health and Care Plans.

The department knows that many children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) struggle to find a suitable school placement that is close to their home and meets their needs. This government is committed to addressing this by improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to children and young people with the most complex needs.

The department wants more children and young people to receive the support they need to thrive in their local mainstream school, reducing the need for pupils to travel a long way to access a specialist placement. Many mainstream settings are already going above and beyond to deliver specialist provision locally, including through resourced provision and special educational needs units.

The department is committed to ensuring special schools play a vital role in supporting those pupils with the most complex needs. The Children and Families Act 2014 requires local authorities to ensure there are sufficient school places for all pupils, including those with SEND. If a local authority identifies a shortage of special school places, resulting in a significant number of pupils needing to travel a long way to access a placement, they could consider creating or expanding provision.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education announced £740 million for high needs capital in 2025/26 to support children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision. This new funding can be used to adapt classrooms to be more accessible for children with SEND, create specialist facilities within mainstream schools that can deliver more intensive support adapted to suit the pupils’ needs, alongside continuing to provide places to support pupils in special schools with the most complex needs.

Departmental officials work closely with Dorset Council to strategically oversee SEND place planning and to see what support we can provide to ensure there are sufficient high-quality SEND places in the system. We will confirm local authority allocations to West Dorset for high needs capital funding in the spring.