(UK) Leicester: "Growing demand" for SPED places; 2 special schools set to expand

June 14, 2021, Leicester Mercury: Ellesmere College and Nether Hall Special School to expand as pressure grow on special needs education https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/ellesmere-college-nether-hall-special-5519513

Central England Two schools in Leicester are to be expanded to meet demand the growing demand for special needs places Ellesmere College and Nether Hall Special School will both increase the number of students they are able to take from September. Both schools will offer post-16 education for their students at two new satellite sites freeing up additional capacity at their main sites…. The move will mean Nether Hall Special School will increase its capacity from 110 students to up to 140, while Ellesmere College will be able to offer up to 80 more places, increasing from 286 to 366. A second satellite site for Ellesmere, at the Knighton Fields Centre, was also agreed last month. It will provide space for up to a further 60 students with complex communication and interaction needs, such as autism. This means the capacity at Ellesmere will eventually rise to up to 426. The expansion projects are part of an overall £6.9 million [$9.6M U.S.] plan to increase special school places in the city, with money coming from the council’s capital programme to provide new school places. Assistant city mayor for education councillor Elly Cutkelvin said: “Following detailed analysis of need in the city, it was decided that these two schools were best placed to provide additional special school capacity to meet some of the unmet need for children in the city. “These expansions are great news for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision in Leicester and will enable many more children to access specialist education and the support needed to go on to live a full and accomplished adult life. “It makes sense to offer post-16 SEND education from satellite sites which will allow the schools to expand while offering older children their own dedicated learning environment. It will mean that the schools will have the additional accommodation needed for the increase in pupil places…. Figures for Leicester show that the number of pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan – a tailored educational plan for children with special educational needs and disabilities – was recorded at 2,990 in January 2021. … Demand for special school places in the city has increased every year for the last six years, and is forecast to continue to grow.