Slough Borough Council took swift and bold action to provide additional places for children and young people with special educational needs.

In the spring, we identified 40 children and young people with complex needs that required this kind of support. Despite the limited time available, we built four new fully equipped classrooms at Arbour Vale School in time for the new school year. This means that the group can start and finish their entire secondary education in Slough.

The whole council had to work together to build and ensure the functionality of these four classrooms within a very short time frame.

This involved creating plans that needed approval and obtaining planning permission. Contracts had to be tendered, evaluated, and finalised, and the building project had to be managed. Specialised equipment needed to be installed in the classrooms and staffed appropriately.

I am grateful to everyone involved, from the school to Children's Services, the DfE, and all other council departments, including Planning, Highways, Contracts, Legal, Finance, as well as the Corporate Leadership Team.

I also want to thank my Cabinet colleagues, especially Cllr Puja Bedi and Democratic Services, for facilitating the decision-making process efficiently. Let's continue the great work for the people of Slough.