Suffolk County Council is now in a position to provide further information regarding the development of new Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) units attached to mainstream schools in the county. The authority is very pleased to announce that following a thorough evaluation process, a number of suitable schools have been identified to develop:
- Two Generic Key Stage 1 Units – Pipers Vale Primary Academy and Burton End Primary Academy
- Three Communication and Interaction Key Stage 2 Units – Murrayfield Primary Academy, Houldsworth Valley Primary Academy, and Causton Junior School
- One Cognition and Learning Key Stage 2 Unit – Clements Primary Academy
- Three Communication and Interaction Key Stage 3/4 Units – Copleston High School, Ixworth School, and Newmarket Academy
- One Cognition and Learning Key Stage 3/4 Unit – Castle Manor Primary Academy.
In total, this means an additional 168 new specialist placements will be available for children and their families in Suffolk from September 2020, on top of existing specialist provision. Successful schools are currently working with the council to ensure the appropriate infrastructure and support is in place to enable these new units to be open in September 2020.
A further commissioning round will begin in Spring 2020 and will consider further expressions of interest from mainstream schools who hope to open units in September 2021. This will include targeted work from our provider development team in areas of the county where gaps have been identified to ensure we are able to offer local provision for our children and their families.
Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Education and Skills, Councillor Mary Evans said:
“We are delighted with the interest shown by our mainstream schools and would like to thank all those who came forward wanting to work in partnership to deliver this provision. If you are a mainstream school that would like to become involved or would like further information there is still time.
“Regular updates will follow as we continue to work hard in the delivery of our capital programme across the next five years, resulting in an additional 870 specialist places.”
Please contact Jamie Mills [email protected] for further information if your school is interested in developing a SEND unit.
The council is very pleased to work in partnership with the Suffolk Parent Carer Network and a spokesperson for the Network, said: “The development of new specialist education placements is something that SPCN continue to be involved in at all stages, with the parent carer voice & feedback we have received being an integral part of the specialist unit provision process.
“To see so many providers coming forward saying they want to be part of the solution gives us real hope that we are now on our way to having an education offer that meets the needs of Suffolk's most vulnerable learners and we look forward to working alongside all partners in the future developments of the Capital Programme.”
