(UK) N. Somerset councillor worries about providing for more SPED kids; new school planned

Sept 14, 2018, Weston Mercury: Councillor’s concern over district’s plan for special education needs school http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/news/north-somerset-special-educational-needs-provision-1-5695650 … Building a new school for children with special educational needs could cause academies to become ‘less inclusive’, according to a North Somerset councillor. Councillor Tom Leimdorfer is worried about the increasing number of children requiring alternative education and has questioned how North Somerset will be able to provide for these pupils in future…. The council’s report says it is working on submitting a bid by October 15 to win Government funding for a new special or alternative provision school from the Department for Education…. He says there is a ‘tremendous amount’ of planning being put into alternative provision to combat the growing number of children not attending school. Cllr Leimdorfer added: “Some of it is in answer to Ofsted but quite a lot of it is in answer to what seems to be an increased need…. “Even if we have the resources for a new social, emotional and mental health school, and more alternative provision, is it in fact going to end up making it easier for mainstream schools and academies to be less inclusive?”… The council is also exploring the need for a new primary school in the centre of Weston and completing a 300-pupil expansion project with Priory Community School by the autumn. North Somerset Council also wants to build a £4million primary school in Yatton’s North End. An opening date of either September 2020 or 2021 has been set for the school which will have capacity for 210 pupils.