uk/local/hounslow/">Hounslow Council has approved almost £4 million in funding for an expansion of specialist special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision at Springwest Academy in Feltham.
The council’s Cabinet approved an additional budget allocation of £3.974 million on 8 September, with the funding coming from the Department for Education’s (DfE) High Needs Provision Capital Allocation grant. The allocation will be spread across financial years, with £1.497 million in 2026/27, £2.381 million in 2027/28 and £96,000 in 2029/30.
The investment comes as demand for SEND provision continues to increase across Hounslow. The council’s March 2026 Cabinet papers record 2,906 children and young people aged 0–25 with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) in 2023, rising to 3,100 in 2024 and 3,382 in 2025. The council forecasts the figure could reach 3,987 by 2030, representing a 37% increase from 2023 without mitigating action.
The increase in demand is occurring alongside a separate demographic pressure on Hounslow’s schools. Birth rates have been declining locally and nationally since 2013, contributing to falling pupil numbers and an increasing surplus of school places. In response to these pressures, Hounslow has developed a School Organisation Plan (SOP) for 2026 to 2030, which is designed to determine where places are needed and consider how surplus space in mainstream schools could be repurposed, including to support children with SEND.
Expanding in-borough provision also supports Hounslow’s efforts to control rising budget pressures, by building local capacity at sites like Springwest the council aims to reduce the implementation of costly independent or out-of-borough placements.
Although Springwest already has specialist provision for pupils and the Department for Education records updated on 10 September show that its existing resourced provision has capacity for 27 pupils, with 23 currently on roll, it is one of four secondary schools involved in the council’s expansion programme. The School Organisation Plan anticipates at least 60 additional secondary Resource Provision places being created across Springwest, Lift Kingsley, Gumley Girls School and Chiswick School for September 2026.
The expansion of specialist SEND provision is also moving through the planning process as a planning application for the Springwest site proposes a two-storey special educational needs building, alongside a sensory garden, landscaping, cycle storage and refuse storage. The application was submitted in August and is currently under consultation, with comments accepted until 24 September.
The Cabinet has delegated authority to the council’s Director of Lifelong Learning, Skills and Employment to approve the final business case and enter into a funding agreement with Tudor Park Education Trust, which operates Springwest Academy.
