News
Suffolk gets £5m for new SEND support service
Suffolk County Council is to receive more than £5 million from the government to set up a new service giving children faster access to specialist support, without the need for lengthy assessments.
News
Suffolk to receive £9.4m for new SEND school places
Suffolk has been allocated nearly £9.5 million to create more specialist places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), as part of a national funding package for councils across England.
Features
SEND reforms explained: What Ipswich families need to know
The government has unveiled its most ambitious overhaul of the special educational needs and disabilities system in a generation, but for the thousands of families in Suffolk already navigating a system under severe strain, the practical changes remain some years away.
News
Education Minister visits Ipswich school to hear SEND concerns
Schools Standards Minister Georgia Gould MP visited The Willows Primary School to hear directly from staff and parents about special educational needs provision in Suffolk
News
Suffolk's £150m SEND debt write-off welcomed but concerns remain
Suffolk County Council says the Government's decision to cancel 90 per cent of its £168 million special needs funding gap will make a real difference, but warns it does not remove financial pressure completely as the deficit continues to grow.
News
Suffolk praised for SEND progress but warned too many families 'yet to feel the benefit'
The partnership responsible for SEND services in Suffolk has been acknowledged for making important improvements by the Department for Education, but warned it must translate activity into measurable impact for families who still experience frustration with statutory processes and communication.
News
Nine days left to apply for primary school places in Suffolk
Parents and carers in Ipswich and across Suffolk have nine days left to apply for primary school places for September 2026, with demand remaining high across the county ahead of the Thursday, 15 January, deadline.
News
Vulnerable children's care provider sold to national chain
National care provider Keys Group has bought CF Social Work, an Ipswich-based provider of children's social care and education services that operates four residential homes across Suffolk, caring for vulnerable children with social, emotional and mental health needs.
Features
Behind Suffolk's three-year autism waits, campaigners say they're in mediation with the council
With suicide rates significantly higher among autistic people, Suffolk's three-year assessment waits aren't just frustrating – campaigners say they're potentially fatal.
News
More Suffolk pupils attending school, but most vulnerable falling further away
A record 2,110 students in Suffolk were severely absent from school in the 2024-25 autumn term, missing at least half of their lessons, even as overall absence rates improved across the county.
Features
Beyond the register: How local families are rethinking school
Record absence rates in Suffolk are not just about truancy. Parents here say pressure, unmet SEND needs and rigid rules are pushing children out of classrooms and, for some, into home education.
News
Why delayed SEND reforms matter for Suffolk's struggling council
The government's decision to delay long-awaited special needs reforms until 2026 comes as Suffolk faces a £161 million deficit in its schools budget, while grappling with soaring demand that has seen the county deliver 2,289 more education and health care plans than the previous year.