Work has started to create more school spaces in Nottingham for children with special educational needs after the number of pupils needing support for conditions such as autism rose by more than 100 percent. Figures published in September revealed the number of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder had increased by 103 percent since 2017, from 317 children to 642 in 2022.
“There is an urgent, significant and increasing need for additional capacity for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities both within mainstream and special schools,” delegated decision documents say. To help, the Department for Education announced funding for new spaces, and the council has been given £17.963m to cover a period between 2021 and 2024.