TWO Teignbridge schools are among nine in Devon which remain in the government’s school rebuilding programme as ministers prepare to make way for more applications.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson announced the expansion of the school rebuilding project, including a £3 billion bid to create 50,000 specialist places for children with special educational needs and disabilities in mainstream schools nationwide.

The announcement said it would invite applications from a further 250 schools and that those with the ‘most severe need’ would be prioritised.

Nearly 520 schools are on the list from across the country, having applied through the various phases of the rebuilding programme in 2021, 2022 and 2024.

As previously reported, Dawlish College and Kenton Primary School remain on the list.

In terms of the government’s announcement about SEND places, a spokesperson said it could not state at this stage how many would go to each local authority.

Ms Phillipson said: ‘A child’s background should not determine where they end up.

‘Education is the route to opportunity, and opportunity should be for every child, regardless of their individual needs and circumstances.

‘For too many families, the reality has been very different, but this government will fix the broken education system for children and young people with SEND by making sure that their local school is also the right school.

‘Ahead our reforms next year, we’re laying the foundations of a new system that shifts children with SEND from forgotten to included and earns the confidence of parents.

‘This £3 billion investment will transform lives. It will open the door to opportunity for tens of thousands of children with SEND, giving them the chance to learn, belong and succeed in their local community. This is how we build an education system that works for every child.’