Ron Clarke, Chief Executive Officer at McAvoy, said:
“The decision to prioritise capital funding for SEND provision in existing schools reflects the scale of
the challenge facing local authorities and the need for quicker action to address growing SEND
demand locally. However, the success of this programme will depend on whether delivery models can
match the pace and complexity of the task – to expand capacity within live school environments, on
constrained sites, and to timescales that respond to the immediate need for more places.
If delivery routes become overly complex or slow, there is a risk they become the next blockade to
SEND provision, undermining the intent of the programme. Approaches such as modular, that allow
schools to adapt and add specialist SEND spaces with minimal disruption to pupils already in
attendance will be an important part of avoiding that outcome and ensuring investment translates into
provision on the ground, in months rather than years. As this programme develops, clarity around
procurement routes and delivery frameworks will be key to enabling local authorities to move at pace.”
