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Suffolk to receive £9.4m boost for special educational needs places

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Suffolk will get over £9.4 million in government funding to create hundreds of new school places for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Why it matters: The funding will help Suffolk keep pace with the growing demand for specialist education provision, building on efforts that Suffolk County Council says have already created over 1,000 new places in the past five years.

Boy with with Cerebral Palsy in special chair play with mom at home
Suffolk will get over £9.4 million in government funding to create hundreds of new school places for pupils with special educational needs and disabilitiesIryna ImagoGetty Images

The details: The Department for Education announced the £9,441,348 allocation on Thursday as part of its High Needs Provision Capital Allocation scheme.

The money will be used to develop new SEND school places across the county, with specific plans to be drawn up by the Local Area SEND Partnership.

Andrew Reid, Cabinet member for Education and SEND at Suffolk County Council, said: "This investment is a welcome addition for Suffolk's children and young people, and their families."

"In the last five years, we have agreed 1,025 new specialist places. However, our analysis tells us we must continue to invest in new places to keep up with demand. This new funding will support that growth."

The bigger picture: The funding comes alongside existing plans to create 200 new SEND places that will be discussed by Suffolk County Council's cabinet on Tuesday.

Suffolk's allocation is part of a larger £126.6 million package for the East of England region, which is expected to fund approximately 1,000 places for children with SEND across the area.

What's next: Officials will use the recently published Joint SEND Needs Assessment Report to create a Joint SEND Sufficiency Plan that will determine how the new funding should be spent.

For context: The Local Area Partnership, which will oversee the spending plans, includes Suffolk County Council, the NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board, NHS Norfolk and Waveney ICB, the Suffolk Parent Carer Forum and education settings.

The bottom line: As demand for SEND places continues to grow in Suffolk, this £9.4 million allocation will help local authorities develop some of the additional capacity needed to support children with special educational needs.

Attwells staff outside their Ipswich office

An award-winning local law firm

Rated as "Excellent" on Review Solicitors with an impressive 4.8/5 on Feefo.

Attwells staff outside their Ipswich office

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Farage more trusted than Starmer in East of England, latest poll finds

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Attwells Solicitors

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Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is more trusted to represent the UK internationally than PM Keir Starmer among East of England voters, new polling reveals.

Why it matters: The findings highlight a significant decline in trust for the main party leaders in the region less than a year after the general election.

The poll, conducted by communications agency PLMR and Electoral Calculus, shows Farage ranked highest among named leaders at 19% in the East of England, ahead of Sir Keir Starmer (13%), Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch (6%) and Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Ed Davey (5%).

Nigel Farage
Nigel FarageAlamy

The bigger picture: One in three voters (33%) in the region responded "none of the above" when asked which political figure they would trust most, suggesting a broader decline in overall trust in UK political leaders.

By the numbers: The same poll indicates Reform UK would become the largest party in the region if an election were held tomorrow:

  • Reform: 21 seats

  • Conservatives: 10 seats

  • Labour: 4 seats

  • Liberal Democrats: 2 seats

  • Greens: 1 seat

In contrast: Nationally, Farage and Starmer are tied at 16% among those who named a preference, highlighting a more polarised national picture, with the Reform UK leader building more trust with voters in the East of England specifically.

What they're saying: "This polling highlights a significant decline in trust for the two main party leaders among East of England voters when it comes to representing the UK on the international stage," said Tim Miller , Managing Director of PLMR Genesis , the East of England branch of PLMR.

Reform and Nigel Farage have seemingly been able to capitalise on this and it's now translating into voting intentions, with the Party set to overtake Labour and the Conservatives in the region with the largest number of seats – a seismic political shift.

Between the lines: The poll suggests Reform would make strong gains across the region, potentially taking seats from both major parties:

  • Suffolk: Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket from Labour

  • Essex: Braintree from the Conservatives and Thurrock from Labour

  • Cambridgeshire: North East from the Conservatives and North West from Labour

  • Norfolk: North West from the Conservatives and South West from Labour

Tim Miller on a backdrop of Ipswich from above and political party colour overlays
Tim Miller of PLMR GenesisOliver Rouane-WilliamsIpswich.co.uk

The national outlook: The survey of 5,180 adults showed Reform securing 25% of the vote share nationally, compared to 23% each for Labour and the Conservatives. This would translate to 227 seats for Reform, 180 for Labour and 130 for the Conservatives.

The bottom line: "If Labour wants to keep Reform at bay, hold onto the gains they made in the East of England and remain in government in four year's time, the Party needs to focus on getting their message across more clearly to voters and instil confidence in their domestic agenda," Miller concluded.

Attwells staff outside their Ipswich office

An award-winning local law firm

Rated as "Excellent" on Review Solicitors with an impressive 4.8/5 on Feefo.

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