Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions her Department has had with Buckinghamshire Council on the provision of specialist school places for children with special educational needs; and what steps she plans to take to increase capacity in that county.

The department is engaging with Buckinghamshire Council to discuss the current provision of and future demand for specialist school places, with a view to supporting them in delivering places where needed and improving outcomes for children with special educational needs.

This includes working with Buckinghamshire on the authority’s successful application to be part of the national free school competition, and on the provision of new specialist units within mainstream schools.