The education secretary has answered what the government is doing to improve special needs provision in Bracknell Forest.
The education secretary has set out what the government is doing to boost special needs provision in Bracknell Forest during a visit to Uplands Primary School and Nursery in Sandhurst on Thursday 15 January.
Bracknell Forest Council is building a Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) school in Warfield and wants to create the Forest View School for children with autism at the Buckler's Park development in Crowthorne. Councillor Gareth Barnard (Conservative, Whitegrove) has said the school could cost upwards of £20 million.
Asked how the government will help councils create special needs places, education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: "So we're investing more than three billion pounds to give councils the support they need to create more places close to home, because I've heard from parents that they're really unhappy that often their children have to travel long distances far from home to get the specialist support that they need.
"We're investing more in creating the places that are needed alongside work to support staff to better identify need much more quickly.
"The system at the moment is too adversarial for parents and through the process of reform that we're embarking on, we want to make sure that improves."
Peter Swallow, Labour MP for Bracknell, said government funding has enabled the council to create 100 school places for children with special needs: "Because of the support that Bridget has put in place through that 3 billion pound investment, Bracknell Forest Council has been given the opportunity to deliver that school, or if it would prefer, those 100 places in a different way.
"I've been speaking lots to parents, carers and the local authority.
"I've always been clear that I support the school, and I think it's a fantastic opportunity to deliver that with the government support.
"They're working through all of that at the moment and will come up with the best way forward.
"But I'm so delighted that we've got that commitment because of the choices this government has made, that means that we're able to deliver those 100 places."
On short-term help, Mrs Phillipson added: "We're already investing more this year and right across this parliament.
"More money's going in to support children, children in mainstream settings, but also children who have additional needs alongside that too.
"I know from parents that critical to all of this is identifying needs much more quickly than is the case right now.
"So expanding school-based nurseries and investing in early years education means that children are better supported in those early years and staff are better able to identify some of the challenges that children and families might be facing."
On whether support should be in dedicated schools or mainstream settings, Mrs Phillipson said: "So specialist provision will always have an important role to play in the system.
"But alongside that, I've seen some fantastic work where you can put more specialist provision into mainstream schools.
"That means that children can spend part of their time with their friends in their local school, taking part in wider activities and the curriculum.
"But where they need additional support with particular learning needs, they can get that really tailored support from staff alongside that too."
Mr Swallow said extra Special Resource Provisions (SRPs) are planned, including at Sandhurst School and at Edgebarrow in Crowthorne, alongside the new SEMH school in Warfield: "So that will be a new SEN school.
"So it's about making sure we're getting the right provision, but also a range of provision to meet the needs.
"And we've been able to do that because of the fantastic support of Bridget and this government investing in young people's chances here in Bracknell Forest and across the country."
At the full council meeting, cllr Roy Bailey (Labour, Town Centre & The Parks) said the council is drawing up a business case to create the 100 special needs school places.
James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter
