Ealing Council has approved plans to establish new Specialist Resourced Provisions (SRPs) at Acton Gardens Primary School and Brentside High School, significantly expanding support for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) in the borough.
The decision, made by the council's Cabinet on Thursday, 9 July 2026, will see Acton Gardens Primary School gain a 36-place SRP and Brentside High School establish a 30-place SRP. Both provisions are set to begin a phased intake of pupils from September 2027.
Councillor Blerina Hashani, Cabinet Member for a Fairer Start, stated that these new provisions would allow for 36 places for specialist provision at Acton Gardens and further 30 places for Brentside High.
The expansion aims to provide tailored support for children with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), particularly those with needs on the autistic spectrum or with social communication and speech, language, and communication needs.
Admissions to the SRPs will be coordinated by the Local Authority based on the needs set out in a pupil's EHCP. Specifically, for Acton Gardens Primary School, the SRP will cater to pupils aged 4 to 11 with Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN), and/or a diagnosis of autism. For Brentside High School, the SRP will cater to pupils aged 11 to 16 with SLCN, and/or a diagnosis of autism.
A capital budget of £1.461 million has been approved for these works, funded by the High Needs Provision Capital Allocations grant. This investment is part of a wider effort by Ealing Council to ensure sufficient specialist SEND school places are available within the borough, promoting inclusive education and reducing the need for children to travel outside their local area for specialist support.
During the Cabinet meeting, councillors discussed the importance of ensuring these provisions are well resourced once it's up and running.
Councillor Hashani confirmed that funding for staffing would come from the Dedicated Schools Grant and that the council would provide additional leadership capacity to support the expansion. To ensure everything is ready before students arrive, the council will fund some additional leadership capacity for the expansion of the SEND provision there and support prior to the opening, including funding teachers in charge a term in advance of the opening.
Furthermore, part of the funding will be used to support all teachers at the schools in accommodating children with SEND within the mainstream environment, which is seen as a positive step for the wider community. However, specific plans for mainstream pupils or detailed resource allocation beyond teacher support are not yet provided.
Consultations held for both schools indicated strong support for the proposals, with a significant majority of parents, staff, and organisations backing the plans. The new SRPs are expected to enhance the inclusive ethos of both schools and provide much-needed specialist educational environments for pupils in Ealing.
Both the Acton Gardens Primary School and Brentside High School SRPs will have phased intakes beginning in September 2027. The report does not specify a timeline for full operational capacity beyond this initial phased intake. [1]
[1] The decision to approve the new provisions was made during the Cabinet meeting on Thursday, 9 July 2026. Further details can be found in the Public reports pack and Printed minutes.
