BUILDINGS, MAINTENANCE & REFURBISHMENT
Addressing the SEND support gap with improved school estates
Hannah Gains, National Education Manager at Net Zero Buildings, discusses how the right building solutions can help to ensure the needs of SEND pupils are met.
A recent report by The Education Committee (entitled ‘Solving the SEND Crisis’) has called for an urgent shift in the education sector, to make mainstream education more inclusive for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Since the introduction of the Children and Families Act in 2014, the number of children and young people identified with SEND has risen from 1.3 million to 1.7 million, meaning schools now need to adapt to meet the changing needs
of students.
One of the key findings from the report, ‘Solving the SEND Crisis’, is that education settings and environments must be accessible, safe, and designed to meet a wide range of sensory and physical needs. To ensure they are aligned with the latest guidance, schools need to understand how learning experiences can be enhanced through tailored design.
For example, sensory or ‘quiet’ areas can be introduced either in a separate SEND
A
recent report by The Education Committee (entitled ‘Solving the SEND Crisis’) has called for an urgent shift in the education sector, to make mainstream education more inclusive for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Since the introduction of the Children and Families Act in 2014, the number of children and young people identified with SEND has risen from 1.3 million to 1.7 million, meaning schools now need to adapt to meet the changing needs of students.
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www.education-today.co.uk November 2025
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