What is the local authority trying to achieve?

56  Ealing Borough Council (Ealing) was in the midst of planning its BSF programme when we visited it. It aims to:

■  raise educational attainment across all groups, especially low achieving groups;

■  increase choice and diversity in provision, including more self-governing schools;

■  provide additional capacity to meet the needs of an expected increase in population;

■  co-locate Special Educational Needs schools with mainstream schools and reduce out of area Special Educational Needs placements; and

■  provide wider provision in mainstream schools so that services are made available in areas of greatest need.