Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help support West Berkshire Council to increase SEND provision in Newbury.

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities or who require alternative provision sits with local authorities.

The department provides local authorities with capital funding to support them to meet this duty and has published allocations for £740 million in high needs provision capital allocations for the 2025/26 financial year.

Of this £740 million, West Berkshire Council has been allocated just under £1.5 million.

This funding can be used to improve the accessibility of schools, create specialist facilities within mainstream schools that can deliver more intensive, tailored support and provide additional special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.

It is up to the council to determine how they prioritise this funding to address local need.