The Children and Families Act 2014 places important statutory responsibilities on local authorities for supporting children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities. This a vital role that local authorities retain in our increasingly school-led education system. As part of their responsibilities, local authorities must ensure there are sufficient good school places for all pupils, including those with SEN and disabilities. The Government has committed £215 million of capital funding nationally to help local authorities create new school places and improve existing facilities for children and young people with SEN and disabilities. In Sutton this funding amounts to about £600k a year for the next three years (2018-2021) - £1.8m in total. This funding can be invested in mainstream schools and academies, special units, special schools and academies, early years settings, further education colleges or to make other provision for children and young people aged from 0 to 25.
The Local Authority consulted with a wide variety of stakeholders on its draft SEN strategy informally and formally last year. Within that strategy there were a number of commissioning priorities that will require capital expenditure in order for the additional SEND places needed to be created. Based on the priorities set out in the SEN strategy, below is a short table setting out the projects that the Local Authority has committed to in order to meet the pressures in the Borough in the present and in the future.
|
School / Project |
Investment |
Notes |
|
Carew Academy |
£328k |
Carew Academy is currently located in a Grade 2 listed building which is unsuitable to the needs of the pupils they serve and is currently at or over capacity. The Local Authority is working with Carew/Orchard Hill Academies Trust to build a new school on the Sheen Way site as part of the Local Authorities Local Plan (subject to planning). This will increase the number of available places in the School from its current planned number of 185 to 247 extending the lower age range down from 7 to 5. To meet the demand for additional places prior to the new school being built the Local Authority is seeking to provide temporary accommodation at the existing site to provide additional classrooms for the next few years. |
|
The Limes College |
£392k |
There have been challenges in providing suitable accommodation and curriculum access for the small number of pupils who are permanently excluded from mainstream primary schools at KS2 and in particular at KS1 on the Limes College site. This is due to pressures on the existing site. The project relocates the provision for KS1 and KS2 pupils to the Lindbergh Centre, which has recently ceased to be used for the provision of play services. The investment is providing a refurb of the existing building and new classroom accommodation on site. |
|
Avenue Primary Academy |
£400k |
The Avenue currently has a specialist provision in Key Stage 1 for pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorder ('wiggly worms'). Following the success of the base, the Local Authority wants to expand the provision into Key Stage 2. This would increase the number of places at the base from 10 to 35 (albeit the school has over offered in the last few years). In order to do this additional accommodation is required at the school in the form of a double classroom unit as part of a wider project to provide the school with sufficient ancillary accommodation following expansion. |
|
Rushy Meadow |
£30k |
This funding will provide additional hearing loop infrastructure in the base. |
|
TOTAL |
£1.150m |
The committed expenditure on this programme to date is £1.150m with a further £650k of funding available. The DfE has asked Local Authorities to publish a template which builds on the information above which can be found here SEN Capital Fund template. We will continue to consider how this funding could be best used to support children with SEND and additional needs in the future and update the local offer pages should any further projects come forward. If you would like further information or have ideas about how this funding could be best invested then please contact kieran.holliday@sutton.gov.uk.