Plans to create 44 additional Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) places across 2 Isle of Wight schools will go before councillors next week in response to an ‘urgent need’ for specialist provision.
Members of the Isle of Wight Council’s children’s services, education and skills committee will be asked to approve proposals to expand Medina House School in Newport from 168 to 204 places, alongside the creation of a new 8-place resourced provision at The Bay CE School’s secondary site.
If approved, the additional 36 places at Medina House School will be provided at the former Barton Primary School site from September 2027.
The new specialist 8-place resourced provision at The Bay CE School is expected to open in September later this year.
A report prepared for Councillors says the proposals will help meet increasing demand from children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) who require specialist educational provision.
The report said:
“The proposed expansions were reviewed in further detail and after carefully considering the outcome of the consultation period, alongside the urgent need for specialist places it was concluded that both proposals should be implemented.”
EHCPs are designed for children and young people up to the age of 25 who require additional support beyond that normally available through special educational needs provision. They identify a child’s educational, health and social care needs and set out the support required.
According to the committee report, around 6.5% of the Isle of Wight’s school population currently has an EHCP.
Expanding Medina House School is expected to require around £1.5million of capital investment, funded through the Department for Education’s High Needs Capital Funding allocation.
Once all 36 additional places are filled, the annual revenue cost is estimated at £1,064,844 – equivalent to £29,579 per pupil. This will be funded through the High Needs Block of the Dedicated Schools Grant.
The proposed provision at The Bay CE School requires an estimated £15,000 of capital funding, alongside a one-off revenue cost of £2,535 for specialist equipment. The annual cost per pupil is estimated at £18,606.
The children’s services, education and skills committee will meet at County Hall on 2nd July to consider the recommendations.
Whats wrong with sending these children to the old ”watergate” school. If they genuinely have learning problems surely as a parent you would welcome them going to a speaclized school and if your just playing the system maybe parents would think twice before labeling the child for the rest of their lifes as ”speacial” ie disabled.