120 new specialist school places set to be created

Some parents like Andrea have expressed concerns at the council's plan

A total of 120 specialist school places are set to be created in Somerset's mainstream schools in an effort to tackle rising demand for special educational needs and disabilities (Send) provision.

The move aims to reduce waiting times for children needing specialist support and to cut the cost of independent specialist school places.

The number of children in Somerset with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) has risen sharply, increasing by 124% in the past four years, from 2,535 in 2020 to 5,672 in 2024.

To address this, the council will create new Send units in mainstream schools, each catering for six to eight children, with the first places expected to be available in September.

Councillor Heather Shearer, lead member for children, families and education at the council, said the authority intended to bring "the best aspects of special schools", like trained staff, specialist facilities and a tailored curriculum, into mainstream schools.

"If children can't access a special school place, we want to ensure they still receive the right level of education, closer to home with their friends around them, " Ms Shearer said.

The move aims to reduce waiting times for children needing specialist support and cut the cost of independent special school places

Somerset Council has identified up to 15 schools for the first phase of the programme from September.

The council is using funding from the government's High Needs Provision Capital Allocation (HNPCA), with £16.8m available for this and future Send investment projects.

It estimates the expansion could save up to £17m over five years, compared to the cost of independent Send placements.

Parents' concerns

However, some parents of children with Send believe the plan does not go far enough.

Andrea, from Bridgwater, fought for years to secure a place at a special school for her son, John, who has autism and is non-verbal, and has a condition that causes him to eat non-edible objects.

John initially attended Westover Green Community School and Autism Centre, a mainstream school with an autism base.

But his mum says it was not equipped to meet his high level of need.

"They did everything they could, but it was not suitable. They told the council John needed an urgent placement at a special school, but nothing happened."

Eventually, after a long struggle, John secured a place at Polden Bower Special School, where Andrea said he was now thriving.

She believes the council's plan will help some children but it will not address the wider crisis in Send provision.

"There will be a minority of children who would be more suitable for these placements but I think the majority of Send children need a much higher level of support and need proper special needs schools, which we simply do not have," she said.

Ruth Hobbs says it is important the right places go to the right children

At present, more than 500 children with EHCPs in Somerset are being educated in independent specialist schools because of a lack of places in council-run special schools.

To ease the pressure, the council is working with local school leaders to develop new Send provision, but acknowledges that building full special schools takes years.

"We have some really good special schools, like Polden Bower, but we just do not have enough spaces," Ms Shearer added.

"We have expanded all the ones we can. These new units won't solve everything, but they will help reduce waiting times and ensure more children get the right support sooner."

Some parent and carer organisations have cautiously welcomed the plans but stress the right children must be placed in the right settings.

Ruth Hobbs, chief executive of Somerset Parent Carer Forum, said: "For some children, being in a class of 30 is overwhelming.

"Having a smaller setting of six to eight children will make school more accessible. But we need to make sure these places go to the right children - this model won't work for everyone."

With demand for Send support continuing to grow, Somerset Council said it would review its plans regularly to ensure the right level of provision was available.