Council to use empty buildings to boost SEND places

Hampshire County Council approved the plans at a recent meeting

Empty council buildings could be used to bolster the number of school places for children with special educational needs.

Hampshire County Council will need 1,800 extra specialist school places for pupils with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) by 2030/31.

At a recent meeting, the authority approved a strategic approach to using suitable empty buildings within its estate to tackle the shortfall.

It said the plans could help cut costs and reliance on the private sector.

Under the proposals, the council's director of children's services and operations would be able to identify authority assets that may be suitable for re-use.

Where such assets are identified, a separate appraisal will then take place to evaluate the future of the sites.

Over the past decade, the number of children receiving an education, health and care plan (EHCP) from the authority detailing their extra needs has increased.

The figure rose from 5,000 in 2015 to more than 17,000 in 2024.

Around 40% of students with an EHCP also need a spot in a specialist school.

Currently, Hampshire has 3,434 special school places and 659 spots available in specialist "resourced provision" areas within mainstream schools, both in the maintained and academy sectors.

Councillor Adrian Collet said the new plan was "desperately needed" for the children of Hampshire, who were currently transported "very long distances" to receive appropriate education.

"If the child can be provided for less than £20,000 a year compared with £70,000 in the private sector, then we'd be mad not to be doing that," he added.