(UK) Newcastle: School for "rapidly rising" number of SPED children years away

Nov 1, 2024, Chronicle Live: Plans for new SEND school in Newcastle face cash shortage as education boss issues stark warning

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NE England

Plans to build a new school in Newcastle for a rapidly rising number of children with special needs remain unfunded and are years away from becoming a reality, a city education chief has warned.

Newcastle City Council wants to build a new school in Byker that would cater for children with autism, amid worries about a lack of provision for youngsters with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). It was announced earlier this year that council-owned land in Allendale Road had been earmarked as a location for the school, which could support almost up to 192 children and young people aged four to 16.

But councillors were told this week that the project is yet to get off the ground, lacking sufficient funding to progress, and the site is expected to be at least four years away from opening. The number of children and young people with Education, Health and Care plans (EHCPs) has increased to 2,769 in 2024, a massive rise of 86% since 2019, and there have long been concerns about an increasing need and lack of capacity in existing special schools – with the biggest area of need being pupils with autism.