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(UK) Derbs: $1.2M for 300 more preschool/elem SPED places

Jan 16, 2025, Derbyshire Times: Derbyshire County Council allocates nearly £1m [$1.2M] for school to increase special needs places

E. Midlands


Derbyshire County Council has allocated nearly £1m [$1.2M] of Government funding for a Shirebrook primary school and nursery as part of its on-going plans to increase special educational needs places by 300 across the county.


The county council’s Cabinet previously approved plans for £4,838,000 [$6M] from an £11m [$14M] pot of Government funding to be used at Shirebrook’s Stubbin Wood Nursery, as well as Chesterfeld’s Ashgate Croft School, Alfreton Park School, Long Eaton’s Brackenfield SEND School, Swanwick School and Sports College, and Stanton Vale School.


Shirebrook’s Stubbin Wood Nursery School, on Common Lane, has already been allocated £270,000 from the £11m pot to accommodate 15 additional special needs pupils from September, 2024, with permanent accommodation and suitable outside space.


And the council’s Cabinet agreed at a meeting, on January 9, to allocate a further £953,000 [$1.2M] for the school from the same £11m [$14M]  pot to progress this project.


A council spokesperson stated: “In May and July 2024, the council announced plans to spend £11m [$14M] of this funding to support the creation of 300 new special school places across the county.”


The project at Shirebrook aims to provide permanent accommodation and suitable outside space to increase special school provision for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities on a site that has been identified in partnership with the TEAM Education Trust.


Cabinet approved the further £953,000 of funding for Stubbin Wood School after considering the Children’s Services SEND Capital allocations and the school’s new provision is expected to be based on the Burlington Avenue site with the academy’s current nursery.


The original £4,838,000[$6M] share of the £11m [$14M] pot from the council’s overall special educational needs and or disabilities capital budget is supporting new facilities and resources at the six identified schools including Stubbin Wood.


Chesterfeld’s Ashgate Croft School is benefiting from £848,000 [$1M] of funding for a new four-classroom modular building to create additional space for children with special needs.


Alfreton Park School is benefiting from £1,600,000 [$1.97M] These three projects are for Bennerley Fields School, in Ilkeston, including £2.6m [$3.2M, the Holbrook School for Autism, in Belper, including £365,777 [$451K] and Stanton Vale Special School, in Long Eaton, including £230,000 [$284K] .


Further allocations and progress as part of the £11m [$14M] plan are expected to be announced in the coming months of funding to provide a three-classroom modular building and a classroom and vocational learning space to accommodate 10 additional SEND pupils by September, 2024, increasing to 45 additional places by September, 2025.


Long Eaton’s Brackenfield SEND School is receiving £200,000 [$247K] for suitable additional classroom spaces for 15 children with special needs from September, 2024.


Swanwick School and Sports College is benefiting from £1,600,000 [$1.97M] to expand classroom space to create additional places for pupils with special needs.


And Stanton Vale School is receiving £320,000 [$395K] to create a newly refurbished wing creating 22 additional places for special needs children by September 2024, increasing to 35 places by September, 2025.


Other mainstream Derbyshire schools are expected to benefit from the remaining share of the overall £11m SEND funding roll-out pot.


The council’s Cabinet also agreed in December, 2024, to allocate an additional £3,195,777 [$3.94M] of SEND capital funding across three other special school projects to increase places.


These three projects are for Bennerley Fields School, in Ilkeston, including £2.6m, the Holbrook School for Autism, in Belper, including £365,777[$451K] and Stanton Vale Special School, in Long Eaton, including £230,000 [$284K].


Further allocations and progress as part of the £11m [$114M] plan are expected to be announced in the coming months.





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