Warwickshire Council has decided to hold a public consultation on plans to establish specialist facilities for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) at three schools in the county. Separately, in a closed session, the council also decided to approve the letting of a building in Saltisford.

Consultation on SEND school places

Warwickshire County Council has approved plans to consult on adding new facilities for SEND pupils at three schools.

The three schools are:

• All Saints CofE Junior School, Warwick
• Boughton Leigh Infant School, Rugby
• Dunnington CofE Primary School, Alcester

The council is proposing to establish what it calls Specialist Resourced Provisions (SRPs) at each school.

The proposed specialist resourced provisions will meet the needs of pupils with an EHCP [Education, Health and Care plan], who are cognitively able to access the curriculum and will benefit from being located within a mainstream school environment where their additional needs can be met through a flexible approach, tailored and adapted to their needs.

— Consultation on the Establishment of SEND Resourced Provisions

The SRPs would be for up to 8 pupils at each school, with places available for:

• Infant-aged pupils with communication and interaction needs at Boughton Leigh Infant School.
• Primary-aged pupils with communication and interaction needs at All Saints CofE Junior School.
• Primary-aged pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs at Dunnington CofE Primary School.

The consultation will be open between 13 January and 7 February 2025. If the proposals are approved following the consultation, the new facilities could be in place by September 2025.

According to the report considered at the meeting, there are no additional costs for the council to undertake this consultation. However, there will be capital costs if the council decides to proceed.

However, if after the consultation, there is a decision to go ahead with the specified specialist resourced provision there will be capital costs to the Council in order for additional teaching and ancillary space to be provided to accommodate the learners attending the SRP.

— Consultation on the Establishment of SEND Resourced Provisions

The report says that the required funding is available and has already been budgeted for.

The report goes on to say that the council is pursuing a strategy of increasing the number of SEND pupils educated in mainstream schools.

The establishment of SRPs is part of the strategy to limit the overspend on the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) allowing learners to access quality education placed in more cost-effective provision, reducing the pressure on in county specialist provision and reducing the need to place learners in more expensive independent specialist provision.

— Consultation on the Establishment of SEND Resourced Provisions

The council currently provides SEND education in a variety of different ways. It maintains several special schools, as well as providing funding for pupils to be educated in non-maintained special schools, and for pupils' additional needs to be met within mainstream schools.

Letting of Building Two, Saltisford

The meeting also considered a report on the letting of a building at Saltisford in a closed session. The report was not made public. The minutes show that the council decided to approve the letting of the building.