City plans to spend £2.17m on SEND overhaul

A city could be short of 475 places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) by 2030 unless action is taken, according to a report.

Peterborough City Council is planning a £2.17m overhaul of its SEND support system, including deploying educational psychologists and therapists in local communities.

It says "intensive" work is under way to overhaul the support it provides to children with SEND.

A report being considered by a scrutiny committee on Monday said: "The plan aims to ensure that children and young people receive support at the earliest possible opportunity."

It said families and schools often faced lengthy waits before they were given access to support.

This is because funding is usually tied to a legal process known as an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment.

"This can create a situation where schools, families and professionals feel compelled to pursue statutory assessment primarily as a route to access support," the report said.

It proposes making funding available sooner so children can receive support before their needs escalate.

The programme includes £2.17m of confirmed government funding this year, increasing to £3.8m in 2027/28 and £4.3m for 2028/29.

The money is intended to reduce reliance on a system centred on referrals, assessments and waiting lists.

Instead, a team of educational psychologists would work in schools and local areas to carry out "preventative work" and become "visible members of local communities".

Under the plans, the educational psychologists would visit schools, early years settings and post-16 education providers to understand where support is needed.

Investment in speech and language therapy and occupational therapy would more than double under the plans.

The report said many children in Peterborough were offered school places outside the city, meaning they have to travel further and may find it harder to make friends locally.

It said two new bases for special educational needs at two mainstream primaries, Wittering and Southfields, would provide an additional 80 places for children from September 2027.

The council said its three-year programme was designed to make the SEND system more "inclusive, preventative and sustainable", and put parents on a more equal footing.

"Parents and carers are experts in their children and should be regarded as equal partners within the SEND system," it said.

The government has been asking local authorities across England to draft new plans for their SEND provision, with proposals due in May.

Peterborough's reform plan is currently being reviewed by the Department for Education, with a decision expected later this month.

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