(UK) Norfolk: School to add unit for social/emotion needs; 24 students/8 staff
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Plans have been lodged to build an extension at a school to provide places for children with special 'social' and 'emotional' needs.
Norfolk County Council has submitted proposals with its own planning department for a 'Social, Emotional and Mental Health Specialist Resource Base at Hellesdon High School.
The Reform-led council is building a number of such bases so that children with SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) can be educated within mainstream school settings.
The council says such bases also reduce the need - and the cost to County Hall - of children having to travel for SEND education, with multi-million-pound transport bills amid growing numbers of children who need extra support.
Norfolk has a higher proportion of children getting extra support for special educational needs than almost anywhere else in the country.
Documents lodged with the planning application for the base at the school, off Middleton's Lane, state: "Norfolk County Council children’s services has identified the need to provide for special educational needs pupils in the Norwich area due to a shortfall in this area of the county, particularly by enhancing mainstream inclusion opportunities where possible.
"It is therefore proposed to develop a new Social, Emotional and Mental Health Specialist Resource Base on the Hellesdon High School site to meet the need in the Norwich area and address the more specialised needs of those pupils."
The proposed standalone building would be constructed on the south of the site, on an existing area of grass connected to the playing field, and would provide spaces for 24 secondary school age pupils. . . .
Eight full-time members of staff would work there.
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