(UK) Lincolnshire to add 500 SPED places; COST: $65M US dollars

Oct 16, 2018, Sleaford Standard: £50m plan to increase school places for special educational needs pupils https://www.sleafordstandard.co.uk/news/education/50m-plan-to-increase-school-places-for-special-educational-needs-pupils-1-8669823 An “ambitious” £50 million [$65M US dollars] shakeup of Lincolnshire’s schools will see an increase of up to 500 places for children with special educational needs, under county council plans. The move will see the changes carried out over the next five years and include 10 special schools across the region. It comes as part of a Lincolnshire County Council strategy to increase school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities. … The plans are estimated to cost the council £50.6 million over the next five years with the final implementation date for the changes set for September 2023…. The idea for the plan will be to make the schools cater for all schools to meet a “wider range of pupils”. Demand for places for special educational needs pupils in the region is expected to increase by 6% by 2023. Council officers said there is a “clear need” to expand existing schools and increase places. Some Sleaford area parents of autistic children attending Gosberton House Academy - an area in which it specialises - had previously expressed concerns about potential effects on the calming environment caused by the changes. Schools which fall under the plan and their changes are as follows: St Lawrence School, Horncastle – change to cater for all needs and increase capacity from 80 to 150. St Bernard’s School, Louth – change to cater for all needs and increase capacity from 88 to 100. The Eresby School, Spilsby – change to cater for all needs and increase capacity from 64 to 84. The Sandon School and Ambergate Sports College, Grantham – combine to one school across two sites, cater for all needs and increase capacity from 152 to 229. The Priory School and The Garth School, Spalding – combine to one school across two sites, change cater for all needs and increase capacity from 128 to 177. The John Fielding School, Boston – change to cater for all needs, relocate and increase capacity from 56 to 140.Gosberton House Academy, Gosberton – change to cater for all needs….