The Cabinet of Worcestershire Council is scheduled to consider a proposal to repurpose the St Dunstan's building in Worcester to provide specialist education provision. This includes the acquisition of the building and associated car park.

Repurposing St Dunstan's for Specialist Education

The Cabinet is scheduled to consider a proposal for the capital allocation to repurpose the former St Dunstan's building in Worcester into specialist education provision. This would involve the acquisition of the building and its associated car park. The report pack indicates that this is a key decision and that the public may be excluded from part of the discussion due to the likely disclosure of exempt information relating to financial and business affairs.

The proposal aims to address a growing demand for specialist educational places for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in Worcestershire. The number of pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) has significantly increased in recent years, placing pressure on existing special school capacity. The report pack highlights that The continued rise in the number of children with special educational needs and EHCPs has put pressure on access to Specialist provision for Worcestershire pupils.¹

The St Dunstan's building, located in Worcester, has become available and is seen as an opportunity to provide dedicated Post-16 accommodation. This would allow older students to access facilities that support their preparation for adulthood, independence, and employability. The report pack details that the Council has already made a subject to contract offer for the building and that Cabinet previously authorised in principle the purchase and securing of car parking.

The proposal outlines that the repurposed St Dunstan's building would serve as a satellite facility for Regency Academy, one of Worcestershire's largest special schools. This expansion would increase Regency Academy's overall capacity and create up to 94 additional specialist place capacity, aiming to reduce reliance on high-cost independent and out-of-county placements. The report pack states that the estimated capital cost per additional place for the St Dunstan's proposal is approximately £93,900, which compares favourably to national benchmarking data for similar projects.

The report pack also details the legal implications, noting the Council's statutory duty under the Education Act 1996 to ensure sufficient educational provision for all children, including those with SEND. Financial implications are also discussed, with a total project capital cost estimated at £10.734 million, to be funded through the reallocation of existing Education capital resources. The report pack indicates that there is no additional capital funding being requested, but rather a reallocation of funds already approved within the existing capital programme.

The report pack also addresses potential risks, including construction cost inflation, unforeseen building condition issues, and flood risk, with proposed mitigation measures. An Integrated Impact Assessment has been carried out, identifying potential positive impacts on children and young people with SEND, as well as some potential indirect negative impacts, such as flood risk affecting site access.