Five schools to get hubs to support SEND pupils

The council said there had been a rise in demand for SEND in Lincolnshire

Plans for hubs to support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) at five primary schools across Lincolnshire have been approved.

The centres will provide a learning environment for pupils with education, health and care plans (EHCPs) while still remaining within the mainstream school community.

Lincolnshire County Council said said there had been a "significant" rise in demand for SEND places across the county.

Natalie Oliver, executive member for children's services, said the hubs were "an incredibly important and necessary step forward in improving the lives of children and their families".

The hubs will be based at Gonerby Hill Foot Church of England Primary School in Grantham, The Meadows Primary School in Lincoln, St George's Church of England Primary School in Gainsborough, Caistor Church of England and Methodist Primary School and Church Lane Primary School in Sleaford.

At a council meeting on Friday where the plans were approved, it was heard the hubs will cost more than £7m and were being funded by the Department for Education.

Eileen McMorrow, the council's programme manager for the SEND and inclusion team, said special schools were oversubscribed despite an additional 527 pupil places over the last four years.

Natalie Oliver said the hubs were "incredibly important" for pupils

The meeting was told that Lincolnshire had significantly more students with SEND than the national average, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Martin Smith, assistant director of children's education, said that nationally 4.2% of children have an EHCP, compared to 4.9% of children in Lincolnshire.

Conservative councillor Stephen Roe said: "This has given a fantastic opportunity for some of our young people to not have to travel so far to get the education they need but also to get them involved in mainstream education which is very important.

"I have friends with children who have gone through mainstream school who probably wouldn't have normally and it has enhanced their opportunities."

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