Brent Council in North London is moving forward with a major expansion of specialist education, aiming to create more than 200 new school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Phase Two of SEND Expansion Approved
The council's Cabinet is set to approve 'Phase 2' of its SEND Capital Programme, utilising a £10.6 million grant from the Department for Education. This investment is earmarked to deliver a total of 212 new SEND places across the borough. The initiative involves establishing a new specialist school and expanding provision at four existing school sites, in a bid to tackle what the authority describes as a "significant shortfall" in local capacity.
Officials project that by providing more education locally, the plan will generate substantial annual savings. It is estimated to reduce costs by £4.3 million per year on placement fees, with a further £1.3 million saved annually by alleviating pressure on the specialist transport budget. Currently, sending pupils to independent and out-of-borough placements costs Brent Council approximately £17.5 million a year, plus an extra £6 million in transport costs.
Where Will the New Places Be Located?
Following a consultation launched after initial Cabinet approval in November 2025, the council is finalising locations for the new provision. Plans for 162 of the 212 places are scheduled for approval at a Cabinet meeting on 19 January 2026.
The proposed distribution of places is as follows:
- 74 secondary school places: These will be split between The Avenue (34 places, using a temporary building at Newman Catholic College) and The Village School (40 places). The Village School allocation includes 20 places at its main site and 20 at a rebuilt Kingsbury High School site, expected for completion by September 2029.
- 88 primary school places: These will be delivered at two existing sites during 2026. The Manor School 1 will provide 72 places by leasing spare capacity at St Mary's, while The Manor School 2 will offer 16 places through an expansion of early years provision at its Bridge Road satellite site.
The development of a new 50-place SEND school at the Strathcona site in Preston Park remains under consultation. This would utilise the location following the closure of Roe Green School.
Rising Demand and Future Challenges
Despite this significant investment, the council acknowledges that the new places will not fully meet projected demand. The number of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) has risen across all age groups in Brent, with the most pronounced increase—8.2 per cent—seen among primary school-aged children (five to ten years old).
To achieve sufficient specialist places by 2027, council officers estimate a need for an additional 320 SEND places. One potential solution involves converting mainstream schools with a surplus of primary places into special schools. However, this option is not currently recommended due to "current uncertainty regarding the Government's direction of travel" on SEND policy. A decision is likely to be deferred until Autumn 2026 when greater clarity is expected.
Councillor Gwen Grahl, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Schools, stated: "Continuing the good work completed in the past three years... this second phase builds on this foundation as SEND demand continues to increase. We have worked with schools to identify spare mainstream capacity to convert to SEND to reduce costs and ensure maximum value from the SEND capital grant funding."
Alongside the financial savings, the expansion is expected to create approximately 63 new teaching and associated staff roles. This phase follows the successful delivery of 382 new SEND places from a capital programme approved in 2022.
