New report says over 200 special school places are needed within Westmorland and Furness

MORE than 200 special school places are required within Westmorland and Furness. according to a report.

A report prepared for the council’s health and wellbeing board said demand for special school places ‘continues to increase’ each year.

It adds: “264 more state funded special school places are required to reduce the need for private and independent special school places to the level that is seen across England.

“Many of these special school places will need to be for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.”

Channelside Alternative Provision in Barrow will accommodate up to 40 young people whose needs can be met in this setting.

A bid from the council for a new special school with approximately 140 places for children aged 4-19 with autism and speech, communications and language difficulties was also granted by the government in May 2024.

Westmorland and Furness Council wants to place the school, which will provide dedicated support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), in the Eden area.

According to a report prepared for the health and wellbeing board, 5.5 per cent of pupils in the council area have an education, health and care (EHC) plan compared with a national figure of 4.8 per cent.

The report adds: “There are some differences in the identification of need across different areas of the local authority, for example pupils living in Barrow or South Lakeland are twice as likely to have an EHC plan than those living in Eden and up to 25% more likely to be at SEN (special educational needs) support level.

“Some of this variation reflects patterns seen nationally in terms of the link between higher levels of SEND and higher levels of deprivation. These trends tend to be more pronounced in Westmorland and Furness.”

The report also states educational outcomes for children and young people in Westmorland and Furness with SEND ‘compare well’ with the national picture at key stages two and four.

It adds outcomes ‘tended to be worse’ for those living in Barrow particularly in relation to academic progress at the end of key stage four.

Members of the health and wellbeing board will discuss the report when they meet on April 14 at Kendal Town Hall.

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.