I’m delighted with the announcement last week of over £16 million for SEND students in Nottinghamshire. As Mansfield’s MP, SEND provision and improving the support we can offer to those with special educational needs has been an issue I have done a lot of work on since I was elected in 2017.
Particularly since becoming Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council in 2021 I’ve been able to see firsthand how our local SEND provision works and where things need improving. Too many parents have had to fight for their children to receive the support they need with their special educational needs.
Obviously it’s a huge challenge; a system that’s creaking and where there isn’t the capacity currently to deliver everything that’s needed. So we’re on a journey to improve this locally, and this money will go a long way to expanding Nottinghamshire’s offer to SEND students.
This funding comes as part of a wider record £850 million government investment for SEND place, via local councils. It will be used to create new places for young people in both mainstream and special schools, ensuring specialist support for children with autism, learning difficulties, mobility difficulties, and more to meet their extra needs.
This marks a tripling in previous levels of investment with this £2.6 billion package from 2022 to 2025. The Government is also delivering 60,000 more special needs places since 2010 with the ambition that parents don’t have to fight for the right support for their children.
Since coming into office, the Government has opened 108 new special schools, with a further 92 on the way, so every child can access the right support at the right time, and benefit from a world-class education.
It’s funding that has helped us to deliver our programme of over 400 additional new school places for SEND in Nottinghamshire, which includes our new Ravensdale school in Mansfield opening in 2025. We’ve now successfully completed the planning stages for this new school, with the project officially getting the green light a couple of weeks ago.
In Nottinghamshire as a whole, 41 per cent of children with special education needs and/or disabilities live in Mansfield and Ashfield, so it’s brilliant we’re able to increase the capacity of SEND places and ensure we’re meeting the needs of these children in the best way.
It’s thanks to our local team in Mansfield, in particular County Councillor Andre Camilleri, for spearheading this and bringing Council Officers to the site a few years ago to demonstrate its suitability for this new school.
Of course, many readers will know that the old Ravensdale school has sat derelict since 2001, so it’s also great news to see investment and new life being brought into this part of the town.
I appreciate for many families tackling these challenges, it’s still far from perfect and there’s a long way to go to ensure that these services are up to scratch. I’ll continue to fight for more funding, and to ensure our area remains at the front of the queue when it comes to supporting children and families.
