Dorset Council reveal £37.5 million plans to upgrade education for 'SEND' children
Shaftesbury's former St Mary's School is part of plans
Dorset Council have revealed their multi-million pound plans to provide education for young people in the county with Special Educational Needs or Disability (SEND)
The £37.5 million will be used in the next five years to ensure more children can attend a local school and receive their education in Dorset.
Currently some children and young people with SEND travel far for educational provision, sometimes far from home. This is because there's not enough specialist provision available in the county.
What will the money be used for?
Creation of new special schools with facilities, this includes the Centre of Excellence, former St Mary's School.
Dorset Council Cabinet approved plans to open the new school, which will also reduce costs for those attending.
The new school will have a maximum of 280 pupils attending.
Expansion of high-quality provision at Dorset's existing special schools, which including the expansion of Beaucroft School.
The former Wimborne First School sire will be used to increase the capacity of Beaucroft School, which Dorset Council's Cabinet gave the go-ahead for in July.
It will result in up to 80 additional places for Dorset children and young people, with a particular focus on those in post-16 education.
Development of new facilities at existing mainstream schools, such as Inclusion Hubs which will be provision attached to mainstream schools.
It is so children with SEND can access the mainstream classroom, but also allow space to support children when they need more specialist support. This will achieve an expansion of over 100 places over the next 5 years.
Independent provision costs around £60,000 a year per child, whereas high quality provision at one of Dorset's own special schools costs around £22,000 a year per child. The SEND Capital Strategy aims to increase local provision and reduce some of these costs in the longer term.
Cllr Andrew Parry, Dorset Council Portfolio Holder for Children, Education and Early Help, said; “Dorset Council is making a big investment in education and support for children with SEND and it’s of huge importance to us. We've developed these ambitious plans because the need for more SEND provision is growing fast and we want all our children and young people to have the best possible outcomes – to thrive!
“This bold and ambitious strategy will focus on achieving the best education for all Dorset’s children and young people with SEND, while avoiding the need for a child to travel away from their family and friend networks to receive their education or support.”