(UK) Isle of Wight: $2M to expand special school from 168 places to 204

July 4, 2026,  IWRadio: £1.5 Million To Be Spent On SEND Provision Expansion For Isle of Wight

Around £1.5 million [$2M] in capital funding will be spent on a 36-place Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) expansion on the Isle of Wight.

The children’s services, education and skills committee yesterday (Thursday, July 2) approved an increase in places at Medina House School in Newport from 168 to 204.

Councillors also agreed to the creation of a new eight place resourced provision at The Bay CE School’s secondary site in Sandown. . . .

These proposals will help manage greater numbers of children with an education and health care plan (EHCP) and who need a specialist education placement for their needs to be met, according to a committee report. . . .

The extra revenue cost when the additional 36 places are filled is £1,064,844, equivalent to £29,579 [$40K] per child.

Estimated capital investment for The Bay CE School provision amounts to £15,000.

One-off revenue funding of £2,535 will be required to purchase necessary specialist resources and equipment to support pupils and the annual cost per child is £18,606.

The council says capital funding for the projects will be drawn from the High Needs Capital Funding allocation from Whitehall’s Department for Education.

Revenue funding will come from the High Needs block of the Dedicated Schools Grant – also from the government.