Hundreds of special educational needs school places needed to cope with demand
Hundreds of extra special educational needs places are needed in Walsall schools to cope with soaring demand.
A report to Walsall Council’s cabinet revealed between 500 and 740 more places are projected to be required for children in the borough over the next five years.
At a meeting next Wednesday, members are set to approve millions in funding for projects which will help create an initial tranche of 197 places.
The local authority currently has 1,121 commissioned specialist places, with a current expansion scheme programmed to deliver an extra 124 places.
But forecasts suggest up to 1,985 specialist places will be required by the 2027/28 academic year.
The initial proposals to create extra spaces, set to be agreed by cabinet, includes approval of £5.9 million for phase five of the expansion of the Education Development Centre.
The empty Rowley Robins building will be refurbished to create 47 extra spaces at a cost of £1,140,000 while £2 million will be spent on improving facilities at Oakwood School.
Around £4.7 million will be earmarked to create an extra 100 places in mainstream schools while a budget of £3,956,250 is expected to be agreed for the expansion of existing special schools.
Walsall Council’s cabinet is also expected to approve the New Leaf Centre makes its current temporary base in Stroud Avenue its permanent home.
The pupil referral unit’s previous home in Rushall was labelled ‘inadequate’ and ‘barely fit for purpose’ in a damning Ofsted report in 2018.
In 2019, it was relocated to Stroud Avenue on a temporary basis with a total budget of just over £8 million earmarked for the new facility.
Cabinet members are expected to approve £300,000 spending on feasibility and designs to progress the refurbishment of the building which will enable New Leaf to remain there permanently.
The report said: “The current model forecasts a need for an initial 1,985 specialist places in the 2027/28 academic year. The LA currently has 1,121 commissioned specialist places.
“The current SRP expansion scheme is programmed to deliver 124 places,
taking the number of commissioned places to 1,245. This leaves an estimated requirement initially for an additional 740 specialist places to the 2027/28 academic year.”
