Conclusion
The better belonging sufficiency strategy sets out a bold and inclusive roadmap for transforming the educational landscape for children and young people with SEND and those requiring alternative provision in Lincolnshire.
Grounded in the principle that every child should feel respected, included, and optimistic about their future, this strategy outlines a comprehensive, tiered approach to provision that is responsive to local needs, sustainable in the long term, and rooted in the values of equity, inclusion, and community. This continued transformation builds on the considerable work and investment that has already taken place:
- capital programme of £101m investment including new special schools sites built in Lincoln and Boston
- capital investment into all 12 special schools to increase capacity and improve learning environment, including new classroom blocks, enhanced external learning and play space, improved drop-off facilities and bespoke therapy spaces encouraging greater collaboration with visiting professionals
- move from school designations to special schools able to meet a wider range of complex needs, providing a specialist education in the right place at the right time, as close to home as possible
- additional 527 special school places created and filled
- existing condition issues addressed and remedied
- planned expansion of Grantham Additional Needs Federation to provide an additional 96 places (in development)
- further remodification of classrooms in other special schools to provide additional specialist places (in progress)
- implementation of 16 mainstream SEND hubs across 11 schools (opening between September 2025 and September 2026) providing an additional 160 places for children and young people with EHC plans
- development of 4 further mainstream AP hubs providing an additional 32 places by September 2026
Through significant investment in workforce development, early intervention, and the expansion of both mainstream and specialist provision, Lincolnshire is committed to ensuring that children and young people can access the right support, in the right place, at the right time.
The strategy recognises the importance of collaboration across education, health, and care sectors, and places the voices of children, young people, and their families at the heart of planning and delivery.
In addition, the strategy offers value for money and supports the council’s ambitions for delivering a sustainable high needs budget.
As demand continues to grow, this strategy provides a flexible and dynamic framework that will evolve in response to live data, emerging needs, and national policy developments. It is a strategy not just for sufficiency, but for transformation—creating a system where belonging is not an aspiration, but a lived reality for every child and young person in Lincolnshire.