More from this theme Recent articles The priority schools building programme. A library in every primary school. The free schools programme since 2024. And now, the 10 year estates strategy. What do all these DfE policy programmes have in common? They all deliberately marginalise special and AP schools, sacrificing their essential investment needs on the altar of hubs, resources and “belonging” spaces in mainstream schools. The same mainstream schools that are, in many areas, seeing swathes of space open up as pupil numbers nose-dive, and where almost all pupils coming into the special and AP sector have arrived from. The case for a more inclusive system is clear. Nobody wants to see the continuation of what has been an exponential increase in movement of children into the specialist sector. If more children and be supported and thrive in mainstream schools by throwing huge sums of capital funding in that direction, that’s great. However, I’m not aware of any mainstream school leader saying that the number one inclusion issue is physical space. It’s not all about …