(UK) Devon: 350+ special needs places for 16 to 18 year olds planned

July 10, 2025, Devon County Council: Refurbishment works starts in programme to expand provision of further education places for young people with special educational needs

SW England

Refurbishment work has begun this week at Petroc College’s campus in Barnstaple and will begin at the college’s Tiverton campus within the next few weeks, to create additional post 16 education places for young people with special educational needs and disabilities, (SEND).

Petroc and Exeter College are working with Devon County Council to make more post 16 education places available, across the two colleges, in Barnstaple, Tiverton and Exeter, for young people with SEND.At least 350 additional places will be created at the colleges, with multi-million-pound funding from the Department for Education and Devon County Council. . . .

Alongside the construction work, the colleges are also developing a wide-ranging programme of support for young people with SEND, beginning before students attend to help make the transitions from school or other educational setting to the colleges as positive as possible. . . .

 “By increasing provision for post 16 education placements across the three sites – Barnstaple, Tiverton and Exeter – we will be helping to ensure that young people have greater opportunities to access further education close to home.” . . .