Unity Schools Partnership welcomes the proposed commitment to increase the specialist education available to children who need it.

Unity Schools Partnership is a trust with 22 schools - primary, secondary and special schools. We are delighted to see the focus by Suffolk County Council on the specialist education needed by children and young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities and we welcome the proposed commitment of £45 million to fund an increase of over 800 children having the appropriate education that their needs require.

We also welcome the work by councillors on ensuring a range of support is available for children with mild, moderate and severe forms of different kinds of special needs and disabilities.

Our trust expects to engage in the discussions about expanding provision and to offer to be a strong partner with the council in putting in place these extra school spaces.

We are delighted to be opening a new special school in Ipswich next year and hope that some of the primary and secondary schools in the trust may be selected for the new additional proposed specialist units.

As well as the focus in the report on the three large towns in Suffolk, we will be pushing for the best possible provision also in the Haverhill, Newmarket and Sudbury areas.

We are pleased too to see the recommendation for further training for school staff to understand and be equipped to ensure children with special needs receive the best possible education whether in a mainstream school or special school.