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Increasing specialist provision and school places in Hertfordshire

We know there is a need to create more provision in Hertfordshire so that our children and young people with SEND have the right education in the right place, at the right time.

In the last 5 years, we increased  the number of places at special schools by 448, but we know that the need for new places continues to rise.

Meeting the immediate demand for Special School places

We have lots of long term projects to increase special school places, but we know we also need to find suitable education options much faster for the children who are already waiting for one. We work with special schools, specialist and alternative provision and mainstream schools to do this.

As one example, in 2022 we completed a new SEND building at Woolgrove School which means that they can continue to take up to 125 children.

 

How does allocation of new places work?

Because there are children in Hertfordshire currently waiting for a special school place, it means that when we create new places, they are often already assigned to a child, and not available straight away through an admissions process. 

If your child is identified as needing a specialist place

This can be frustrating when new places are spoken for, but when your child is identified as needing specialist provision at a provision panel, an Officer will work with you to identify a suitable education option for your child, and you will be in line to receive a place as soon as something is ready.

If you need to discuss suitable education options whilst a place becomes available, you can discuss this first with your SENDCo in case they can advise. You can also speak to your EHC Coordinator.  

If your child does not have an EHCP, and you feel that their needs will be better met at a special school, you can find out more about this process on our 'requesting a place at a special school' webpage.

Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD) 

One of our main priorities is to deliver new local SLD places. To make sure that we can meet the future demand in Hertfordshire, we will be creating 300 new places, with first delivery in 2024.  

While those 300 new places are being created, a small number of extra places are being made at certain schools, along with a full replacement of the hydrotherapy pool at Watling View.  From September 2022 we created 7 extra places at Greenside School, 9 at Watling View and 14 at Amwell View. These places have now been filled.

We are committing a large amount of capital investment to relocate and enlarge Breakspeare School to a brand new purpose-built location in Croxley Green, which will fully meet the needs of both existing and new children in the west of the county. This proposal has now been approved by Cabinet and will increase the capacity of the school by 113 places.  The school is in the design phase with the new accommodation planned to be available in the 2025/26 academic year.  In the interim, an additional 8 places have been created at Breakspeare School from September 2023, as a satellite of the school at Meadow Wood. These additional 8 places have been filled.

In addition, plans are under way for a new 100 place SLD special school in Buntingford to meet the needs of pupils in the east of the county. The earliest this school would open would be in the 2027 academic year.  In the longer term, another new SLD school could be delivered in the north of the county if needed. 

Find out more about how these places are allocated.

Learning Difficulties (LD)

We're very excited about the £15.8m rebuild of The Valley Special School in Stevenage.  The new building is nearing completion and pupils will start to transfer there from the October half term 2023.

A new SEND building at Woolgrove School has now been completed. The new building means that they can take an additional 9 students as places have increased from 116 to 125. These additional places have been filled.

From September 2022 we have created 14 additional places at Middleton School and 10 at The Valley. There will also be 15 additional places created at St Lukes School from Sept 2023. These additional places have all been filled.

From September 2023 an additional 7 places will be created at Southfield School as well as 10 places at Colnbrook School. These places have been allocated. 

Find out more about how these places are allocated.

Communication and autism needs (C and A) - special schools and specialist resource provision (SRP)

We have planned the delivery of 2 new special schools for children with communication and autism needs and the development of a countywide pattern of specialist resource provision attached to mainstream schools which will form part of our graduated response for children with communication and autism needs (C and A).

The graduated response will be a clear offer for children with communication and autism needs and will be supported through a range of suitable and appropriate provision in the county including:

  • support in mainstream schools
  • new specialist resource provision for children with communication and autism needs in mainstream schools
  • 2 new Communication and Autism special schools creating 120 additional places.  One of these, The James Marks Academy, will be open from September 2023, initially taking 20 students. These places  will be managed through our provision panel process.  The primary school in Potters Bar is planned to open from September 2025. Find out more about how these places are allocated.
  • highly specialist schools such as Roman Fields

Children will be able to move up and down this 'ladder' of graduated provision as their needs change.

Development of specialist resource provision (SRP)

Over recent years we have identified a gap in provision for an increasing number of children who have a speech, language or communication need and/or autism who find the mainstream school environment overwhelming. In the past these young people have often ended up in special school, when they should have been better supported to access a mainstream curriculum instead. 

Children and young people with developmental language disorder and severe motor speech disorders continue to need access to the mainstream curriculum, delivered in a modified and visually supported environment.

This has led to our proposal to develop SRPs for the children and young people with social communication difficulties in addition to the children and young people with speech and language disorders. The SRPs will be centres attached to secondary and primary mainstream settings across Hertfordshire. Pupils attending the SRPs will have access to a mainstream curriculum, but the stress of a mainstream environment will be reduced and pupils will feel they have a safe space to be in where their needs are met. The staff and teachers at the SRPs will be trained to support the children and young people's emotional wellbeing and self-regulation. As children in the SRPs gain confidence and independence, the aim is that they will spend an increasing amount of time within mainstream lessons, alongside their peers and with access to the wider variety of opportunities available to them there.

Read more about the Specialist Resource Provisions (SRPs)

Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)

For this sector, we have created an additional 9 places at Brandles School, an additional 11 places at Larwood School, and 7 places at Hailey Hall from September 2023. These additional places have all been filled. 
Find out more about how places in special schools are allocated.

Deaf and Physical and Neurological Impairment (PNI)

Capacity at Knightsfield School for deaf children has increased enabling them to take an additional 5 students from September 2022. 

We have also created additional places at Lonsdale school for children with physical and/or neurological impairment - meaning that they can take an extra 6 students. 

The additional places have all been filled.  Find out more about how these places are allocated.

Alternative Provision

The Education Support Centres offer alternative provision for children who are unable to attend a mainstream or special school. Pupils are often referred to an ESC if they need a higher level of support than a mainstream school can provide. 'Education Support Centre' is the term Hertfordshire use for 'Pupil Referral Unit'.

In 2025 we will rebuild the North Herts ESC, moving onto one site in Letchworth in brand new purpose-built accommodation. 

We have also built a new primary behaviour inclusion support base at The Rivers ESC in Hoddesdon.

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