24 April 2026 weekly update

Dear Colleagues,

With much of last term being dominated by the release of the White Paper Every Child Achieving and Thriving and the launch of DfE consultation SEND Reform putting children and young people first, I felt it was an opportune time to update schools on the work that is currently being undertaken to ensure there are sufficient SEN places in special and mainstream schools and other education settings, through capital investment.

Prior to the Easter holidays, the DfE announced the 2027/28 High Needs Provision Capital Allocations (HNPCA).  Since 2021, Local Authorities have received HNPCA to meet the capital costs associated with the provision of additional SEN places and upgrading existing infrastructure. The funding received for the period 2021-2026 has facilitated special school expansions, investment in Specialist Resource Provisions (SRPs) in mainstream schools, and enhancements to Specialist Post 16 Institutions (SPIs). The latest allocation for 2027/28 of approximately £28m will enable the authority to continue to invest in the SEND system and meet requirements set out in the proposed SEND reforms.

Two key workstreams are targeted reviews of special school infrastructure and increasing the numbers of SRPs across Kent.

Despite there being a number of special school expansions in recent years, the level of demand for specialist provision has still led to many needing to admit pupils well over their designated number. This has had a significant impact on the use of the buildings, with schools citing the need to repurpose practical spaces into general teaching spaces, and administrative and storage areas into intervention and even hygiene spaces. Therefore, to ensure all Kent special schools have the facilities required to meet the needs of children and young people with the most complex needs, in line with current demand, the Assistant Directors of Education are working with specific designations of special schools to review the estate and identify areas for improvement. Through use of the HNPCA, the project will look to address issues caused through the repurposing of spaces, whilst improving the configuration of school sites to ensure the children with the most complex needs can be safely accommodated.

Working groups have been introduced for each designation and the engagement from all special schools has been fantastic, with the meetings well attended, enlightening and most importantly productive. Thank you to all the schools for their continued support.

Following the completion of the SRP review, gaps in provision were identified and work has commenced to increase the number of SRPs around the County with a focus, in certain districts and boroughs, being to ensure there are sufficient secondary pathways for children to transition into. Other areas have seen the need to increase both primary and secondary provision to meet demand.

In November 2025, The Cabinet Member for Education and Skills agreed to allocate £20m of HNPCA towards 36 new or expanded SRPs between September 2026 and September 2027. Seven existing SRPs will be expanding their need-type designations to enable them to meet a wider range of need.

The response of schools to the opportunity of opening an SRP has been great to see, with many other schools still coming forward to express their interest in operating a provision. If you would like to be considered for any future developments, speak to your ADE if you haven not already done so.

I acknowledge that the majority of capital investment to date has been focused on specialist provision and not necessarily wider Inclusion and SEN provision in education settings. Therefore, in line with Government requirements, KCC will engage with stakeholders, including schools and other education settings such as FE colleges, to develop a programme of improvements through addressing accessibility and health and safety requirements, along with supporting settings to provide more appropriate learning environments for children and young people with sensory needs.

However, even though KCC has already been working towards this, underpinned by the recently updated accessibility strategy, it is clear we still need more detail in respect of the Government’s proposals, particularly around the introduction of ‘Inclusion Bases’ before we can finalise a plan. Therefore, updates will be provided as more information becomes available.

Best wishes

Ian Watts
Assistant Director Education (North Kent)