Consultation supports expansion of SEND school

The council received 88 responses – with the majority favouring the plans

Plans to increase the number of places at a school for children with special educational needs in Wolverhampton are set to move forward.

A month-long consultation on proposals to increase pupils' places at Green Park School in Bilston by a further 27 to 174 was largely supported, the council said.

If approved later this year, the extension would be built and ready for pupils in September 2027, according to a cabinet report.

The number of pupils with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) in Wolverhampton increased by nearly two-thirds between 2019 and 2024, according to the local authority – rising from 1,382 to 2,258.

The council said it received 88 responses – with 76 (86%) favouring the plans.

Many comments praised the school, saying the increase in pupil numbers was warranted as the demand for special school places was ever-increasing.

Some responses did raise concerns about the extra traffic and funding for both the school and other services such as speech and language therapy and physiotherapy.

The school's pupils are aged between three and 19 and taught in classes of up to nine, according to its SEND information report.

The cabinet report said the City of Wolverhampton Council recognised that traffic and parking around the school was a "sensitive issue" and the proposed expansion could "exacerbate" concerns.

Additional parking for staff and minibuses would be "considered and delivered where required", the council said.

"While staffing levels are expected to rise in line with the expansion, the responsibility for the future organisation, deployment and duty of care for staff rests with the headteacher and the governing body," the report said.

The school's governors are said to support the expansion provided that on the condition that "adequate and additional" funding is in place to support the new pupils.

The council also said the expansion would have a "considerable" impact on the school's budget, and discussions were "ongoing" over how much extra money it will need.

Cabinet members will discuss the plans on 3 September and whether to move ahead with the work, and if approved, another formal consultation would be held ahead of a final decision at the end of the year.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.