Council say 'we have limited resources' as parents call for more SEND help
Families in Plymouth are telling us it’s taking too long to get specialist support for children with educational needs
Last updated 4th Apr 2023
‘It’s taking too long in Plymouth to get specialist support for children with educational needs’
That’s the view of parents, who’ve formed a campaign group to call for changes
Reg Williams is trying to get his daughter a placement - but says he’s campaigning for everyone
A spokesperson for Plymouth City Council said: "Plymouth, like many other areas of the country, is seeing increasing pressures on its SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) services with requests for special school places exceeding the number of places available and we acknowledge that this is a difficult situation for families.
"Wherever possible we try to ensure that children in Plymouth can be supported within their local community, alongside their peers at a mainstream school. Many of our children with additional needs thrive at their local school with additional support.
"Mainstream schools in Plymouth are committed to providing an inclusive environment where all children, regardless of their needs, are able to thrive.
"We work closely with families and schools to ensure that in cases where a child or young person can succeed in a mainstream school with additional wrap around support that a suitable place is identified and there is a planned transition into this setting.
"Children can only attend a special school if they have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and if their level of need is such that they cannot be supported within a mainstream setting, even with additional support.
"Plymouth has seven special schools that provide 721 places across all year groups and whilst we are exploring options to increase our special school estate, there are limited resources available to us.
"We are introducing new classroom units at Cann Bridge school and Mill Ford school and are also considering a variety of options to better support children within the city in different settings."