City Council plans major investment in specialist school places

Milton Keynes City Council is planning to expand the city’s 1,400 specialist school places by a further 200, with the infrastructure paid for using money from developers as the city grows.

If approved, the specialist places will be created through a mix of new buildings and remodelling at 15 schools across the city.

The latest plans build on existing work to boost provision for children with additional needs. During the past year, the city council has already created over 160 new places via new Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) units and expanding special schools.

It’s taking action as the number of children in Milton Keynes with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or needing specialist support has almost doubled in the last decade.

SEND units within a mainstream school provide specialist support for children who have complex needs. Most learning takes place within the unit using a tailored curriculum, while still giving children chances to join mainstream classes. These units help children stay closer to home, reduce travel time, and give families better access to local activities and support.

The city council will make a formal decision on 27 January to move forward with the latest proposals and begin works this year.

“Most children can be supported in mainstream schools, but some need specialist help. By planning new schools with this in mind, and strengthening what our existing schools can offer, we can meet rising demand and help more children learn closer to home. This is better for local families, reduces the need for long journeys to schools outside the city, and helps us manage costs responsibly while delivering good value for residents.

We know more school places will be required in the coming years, especially in secondary schools, and we’ll continue working on long‑term solutions to support this.”

In the past ten years, the City Council has created capacity for 13,409 new school places for local children; building seven new schools and helping 22 existing schools expand.