More school places for children with Send needs

Crowdys Hill is one of the special education schools that is under increasing demographic pressure in Swindon

The need for an increase in school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) has been highlighted by a new Swindon council report.

In the past year, demand for the services has risen at a greater rate in Swindon than the national average, with particular concern expressed about the lack of provision in the south and east of the borough.

Councillors who sit on the council's adults' and children's overview and scrutiny committee will learn how the borough is matching up to an increasing demand for special provision at the committee's meeting next week.

The report has been prepared after councillors agreed a motion put forward by the Conservative shadow member for education and children, councillor Jake Chandler.

It said: "There are currently over 2,720 children with Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP) in Swindon.

"While in the last year, requests for EHCP assessments have risen nationally by 20%, in Swindon assessment requests have risen by 38%."

The motion requested a review of capacity in light of that growth and officers' work with planning colleagues to make sure educational provision matched up to the growth of housing in the borough.

The report said "in order to meet the needs of children and young people in the borough it is predicted we will require mainstream schools to accommodate an additional number of children with EHCPs dependent on need".

"We also require additional places in specialist resource provisions and units in both primary and secondary to meet more significant needs."

It also acknowledged the number of children with EHCPs is likely to rise further in the coming years.

Currently across Swindon, there are seven special schools and 12 schools with specialist resource provision or a special unit.

The report pointed to the geographical imbalance in provision, with the aim of focusing "the need for new Send provision" in the south and east of the town.

Work has begun to provide a new special school, of between 100 and 120 places, following the approval of  £22.3m funding last February.

And the report details extra provision expected to come on stream over the current academic year at Eldene Primary School, Robert Le Kyng School and two new primary and two new secondary units.

The former Everleigh Road nursery is also expected to be refurbished, to provide additional capacity for the Early Years Centre.