Fresh proposals to improve SEND provision in Lancashire to go before cabinet
Councillors are set to approve numerous actions aimed at further bolstering special needs provision across Lancashire over the coming years.
They include proposals to increase the availability of special needs provision throughout the county, through the expansion of special school places and through the further development of Special Educational Needs (SEN) Units at mainstream schools.
In July, special and mainstream schools were invited to submit expressions of interest as part of ongoing work to manage the increasing demand for more specialist provision across the county.
Subsequently, on Thursday, 7 September, cabinet will be asked to approve the initiation of feasibility studies for 11 special schools that expressed an interest in increasing their capacity.
Councillors will also be asked to approve the initiation of the informal consultation process to expand and increase the numbers of special school places at The Loyne Specialist School in Lancaster, Kirkham Pear Tree School, Acorns Primary School in Preston, Mayfield Specialist School in Chorley, The Coppice School in Preston and Kingsbury Primary School in Skelmersdale to create additional places from January 2024, and in the longer-term.
In addition, cabinet will be asked to approve the initiation of feasibility studies and informal consultation process to create SEN units at Poulton St Chad's Church of England Primary School, and Flakefleet Primary School in Fleetwood.
Councillors are also expected to give final approval to increase the number of special school places at Applebee Wood Specialist School in Preston 147 to 167. The additional places will be created through additional teaching spaces on the school site. A formal consultation on the proposals ran earlier in the summer, with the majority of respondents supporting the current plans.
All of the proposals form part of the implementation of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Sufficiency Strategy 2019–2024, which was developed in response to the increase in demand for specialist provision in particular areas across Lancashire.
County Councillor Jayne Rear, cabinet member for Education and Skills, said: "Improving special needs provision across Lancashire in the medium and long-term is a top priority for the council.
"Should cabinet approve the latest set of proposals, we will move forward at pace with a number of options that will improve specialist provision in key areas of the county, across all age ranges and areas.
"In addition, I will be asking cabinet colleagues to give final approval to create 20 much-needed special school places at Applebee Wood Specialist School in Preston.
"These actions will ensure we are able to meet the growing demand for specialist provision and will lay the foundations for further improvements in the future."
You can read the cabinet report in full by visiting: Council - Agenda for Cabinet on Thursday, 7th September, 2023, 2.00 pm (lancashire.gov.uk) and clicking on item 18.