Jun
10
Thousands more school and sixth form places to be created
Author: Chloe Smith, Updated: 10 June 2022 12:55
Today, the Education Secretary has announced thousands more school and sixth form places for England, as the Government continues to make sure every child gets the educational support they need to succeed.
All children have the right to a high-quality education and parents should feel confident that their local school works for their child, no matter where they live or their ability.
That is why the Government is creating thousands of new school places in England, prioritising children with special educational needs as well as those areas where outcomes are currently weakest, opening up to 60 special and alternative provision free schools from September 2025 and creating approximately 4,500 new places.
The Government’s 55 Education Investment Areas, which the local authorities where outcomes for pupils are currently weakest, which includes Norwich, will be prioritised for up to 15 new mainstream free schools. This will include a targeted number of high-quality, standalone sixth forms, designed to help children from disadvantaged backgrounds fulfil their potential.
The first of the new wave of up to 60 special and alternative provision free schools will begin opening from September 2025, creating approximately 4,500 new places, and boosting choice for parents.
The new alternative provision schools will help keep those who have been excluded, or are at risk of exclusion, engaged with their education, as well as offering more behaviour and mental health support.
These school places build on commitments set out in the government’s recent education reforms, including the Schools and Levelling Up White Papers and the SEND and AP Green Paper, which aim to radically raise the national average attainment in English and maths, with investment and energy focused in areas of the country previously left behind, and to end the postcode lottery in the SEND system.
Through these reforms every young person will be supported to gain the education and skills they need to get a good job and help the economy to continue growing.
From mainstream education to specialist teachers and equipment in tailored settings, the new schools across the country will continue to make sure that every child in every corner of our United Kingdom continues to get the support they need to succeed.
As MP for Norwich North, ensuring that our young people get the best possible start in life is one of my priorities. To find out more about what action I am taking both in Norwich and Westminster for this work, please visit: https://www.chloesmith.org.uk/myplan/children.
For further information on this announcement, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/thousands-more-school-and-sixth-form-places-to-be-created
Chloe Smith