Children with special needs are set to receive a financial helping hand, it has been revealed.

The Government announced that youngsters who need specialist help in Essex and Southend will get more than £1m from the special educational needs standards fund.

The fund was set up to improve standards and the education achievement of children who need help.

In the Government's 1998 special educational needs programme, it pledged pupils would receive more targeted support.

The money will be spent on:

Giving more information and support to parents;

Increasing speech and language therapy;

Providing more training for teachers and learning assistants.

The money for the county will be split between Southend and Essex education authorities.

Essex is getting £887,054 and Southend will receive £127,628.

Alistair Robertson, Southend's assistant director of education said: "We are very pleased with this money.

"The allocation is a 50 per cent improvement on last year which is good news.

"This money will help in a very important area - helping special needs in schools - but it also promotes parent partnerships which will mean an independent person assisting parents and pupils with special educational needs who do have to liaise with a number of agencies."

The East of England will get a total of £5.5 million from the fund.

Schools' minister Jaqui Smith said: "We have high expectations for all children including those with special educational needs.

"Only a flexible and responsive education system will ensure that children with special educational needs have the life chances they deserve."

She added: "The projects put the need of the individual child first.

"We are providing the resources and a firm lead at national level and we are determined to see continuing improvements for children.

"We want all parents of children with special educational needs to get effective support from the full range of local services and voluntary services and to have a real say in decisions about their child's education."

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