Tameside sets out ambitious plan to support children with SEND

Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will be supported earlier and more effectively thanks to an ambitious plan set out by Tameside Council.

In response to the Department for Education’s (DfE) white paper, ‘Every child achieving and thriving’ and the national SEND consultation, the council’s Executive Cabinet has agreed a new SEND Reform Plan to improve support for children and young people while managing the rising demand for Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) across the borough.

A key part of the plan, that has been developed working closely with schools, health partners, parents and carers, is to strengthen early intervention so that children receive timely support from the right professional. The aim is to create a stronger, more inclusive school system where all children are welcomed in every school, and where mainstream settings have the tools and confidence to meet a wider range of needs.

Creating additional places and capacity within the borough remains a central part of the plan, ensuring that children and young people with SEND can access high‑quality support as close to home as possible. To support this, the council has been allocated a further £5 million to increase the number of specialist places in local schools. Creating more places within the borough will reduce the need for expensive placements outside Tameside and help families stay connected to their communities.

These new SEND resource bases in local schools are already helping more children learn closer to home, and early feedback from families and schools has been positive. The plan commits to 630 places in specialist bases in mainstream settings by 2029, alongside a further increase in access to spaces in support bases within mainstream schools for learners with SEND. The places will be across early years, primary and secondary education, and the investment follows the addition of 118 places created in resource bases since September 2025.

The new SEND Reform Plan builds on the progress Tameside Council is making and aims to develop a more inclusive and proactive approach through funding for the national “Experts at Hand” programme. This will give mainstream schools structured access to specialists such as educational psychologists, speech and language therapists and occupational therapists, helping them to support children earlier and more effectively. The plan outlines how this £2.1 million of DfE funding will be spent on a strengthened early intervention offer for schools to benefit children.

Councillor Leanne Feeley, Tameside Council Executive Member for Culture and Lifelong Learning said: “This plan is about giving every child in Tameside the chance to thrive. We are working closely with schools, health partners, parents and carers and using their insight and experience to shape our priorities and actions. And together we’re building a more inclusive and supportive system that helps children earlier, keeps them closer to home and gives schools the tools they need to meet a wider range of needs.

“I am proud of the progress we have already made, and this plan will help us go even further for our children, young people and families.”

It will act alongside the SEND improvement plan as the main delivery and accountability framework for SEND improvement in Tameside and will be reviewed and updated each year as national reforms progress.

The plan which was supported by Cabinet is now submitted to the DfE for final approval.