Specialist Classrooms ‘Not Keeping Up’ with Pace of SEND Demand in the UK
A Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted by modular school building solutions provider Portakabin has suggested that while Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) demand is increasing rapidly across the UK, specialist classrooms are not being delivered throughout the nation at the same pace.
SEND pupil numbers have increased in nine of the UK’s ten largest local authorities in recent years, according to new data.
The same authority also detailed that they currently had 353 pupils awaiting a SEND placement. This is one of six councils which revealed that they had children on waiting lists for specialist placements – totalling almost 1,500 pupils.
Jashan Bahad, Education Key Account Manager at Portakabin, commented: “These figures imply that specialist classrooms across the UK are not currently being delivered at the same pace as demand requires, leaving hundreds of children waiting for places and councils struggling to keep up.”
Growth seen in UK’s Specialist Resource Provisions
The FOI request does suggest that Specialist Resource Provisions are growing throughout the UK, though the rate is slow and uneven.
Kent County Council revealed that they commission the highest number of dedicated SEND facilities of the local authorities who responded to this query, with 67 of its schools having Specialist Resource Provisions. This number is only up by three facilities from the 64 schools recorded in 2022/23.
The other local authorities which detailed they had increased the number of dedicated SEND facilities that they commission over the past few years are:
- Essex County Council – 46 establishments with resourced provisions or Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) partnerships (up from 39 establishments in 2022/23).
- Swansea Council – 35 schools with dedicated Special Educational Needs (SEN) facilities (up from 33 schools in 2024/25).
- Devon County Council – 16 mainstream schools with dedicated SEND facilities (up from ten mainstream schools in 2023/24).
- Northumberland County Council – Eight schools with dedicated SEND facilities (up from seven schools in 2023/24).
Analysing the budget that goes towards SEND facilities across the UK
Another interesting aspect of the FOI request has been the fluctuations with the capital budgets allocated to UK-based SEND facilities in recent years.
Only three of the eight local authorities which revealed their capital budgets in this area have seen their funds increase:
| Local Authority | Capital Budget 2022/23 | Capital Budget 2024/25 | Percentage Increase |
| Croydon Council | £356,000 | £3,000,000 | 742.70% |
| Nottinghamshire County Council | £3,217,641 | £15,890,460 | 393.85% |
| Northumberland County Council | £6,082,981.75 | £12,396,385.56 | 103.79% |
During the same date period though, the following local authorities have had their capital budget that is allocated to SEND facilities reduced:
| Local Authority | Capital Budget 2022/23 | Capital Budget 2024/25 | Percentage Decrease |
| Kent County Council | £32,108,713.21 | £7,980,358.94 | 75.15% |
| Essex County Council | £13,174,000 | £10,019,000 | 23.95% |
| Glasgow City Council | £1,117,792.77 | £881,571.01 | 21.13% |
| Sheffield City Council | £4,023,815.06 | £3,859,805.41 | 4.08% |
These capital budget figures come shortly after the government detailed plans to invest £3 billion over the next three years so that 50,000 more places can be created for SEND children at England’s mainstream schools.
Jashan Bahad, who is also a school governor, observed: “The UK’s school system is currently under intense pressure, in particular when it comes to the rising demand for support for pupils with SEND coupled with the scarcity of specialist places which are available.
“Councils receiving £3 billion to establish tens of thousands more school spaces for SEND children has the potential to make a huge difference. Our FOI has found that there is close to 1,500 pupils already on waiting lists for specialist placements at just six local authorities.
“Those running educational establishments should therefore be looking at quicker and more affordable ways to expand their SEND facilities with the likes of Inclusion Hubs, sensory and emotion regulation rooms, and offices for SENDCOs. These types of facilities will be required at many schools and is where modular buildings, such as those provided by Portakabin, can help.
“These high-quality educational environments are typically faster and more cost-effective to construct than traditional builds – usually being ready in a matter of months instead of years. They also come with layouts which can be easily tailored to include sensory rooms, open areas for group work, quiet zones and therapy suites to support children with SEND.”
Much more information about modular buildings being a practical solution for inclusive education environments can be found in Portakabin’s Meeting Growing SEND Demands Whitepaper.
