Plans for dedicated SEND schools dropped

No new school for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will be built in the north or south of a county, after it was decided money would be better spent on specialist provision in existing schools.

At a meeting of Wiltshire Council's cabinet on Wednesday, councillors voted to take an offer of £4m over funding for new schools.

Councillor Jon Hubbard said the new facilities "would not have delivered a single place until 2031" and would cause "years of uncertainty" for children.

He added that separate plans for a specialist school at Bitham Park in Westbury - which will be paid for from a different funding pot - remain "on track".

In December, the government announced councils with special or alternative provision free schools in the pipeline could choose either to continue with their current plans or receive capital funding to create the equivalent number of places through local provision.

Wiltshire Council has chosen the latter option and intends to invest £4.08m of government money into creating 80 high-needs places across Wiltshire.

"The free school route would not have delivered a single place until 2031 at the earliest," said Hubbard, cabinet member for children's services, SEND, education, and skills.

He told the meeting: "There would have been site surveys, planning, construction, years of uncertainty with children who need support today waiting years for provision that might still be delayed."

He continued: "The funding alternative changes everything. With £4.08 million, we can deliver at least 80 high needs places, the same number as the original free schools, but faster, with more flexibility, and across a much wider geography."

The proposal won the full backing of cabinet members, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Philip Tansley, CEO of Wiltshire Portage, a charity which supports SEND families, previously pointed to Wiltshire Council's challenge of "balancing the books" when it comes to improving SEND provision.

On the latest plans, he told BBC Wiltshire: "We feel that this could be a good move for Wiltshire Council and SEND delivery in the county and look forward to seeing early results from the spending."

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