(UK) Wigan: 'Demand for places far exceeds the current capacity'; council struggles with SPED places
- Aug 8, 2025
- 2 min read
Aug 5, 2025, Wigan Today: Wigan special needs school expansion plan
NW England
And the buildings of a former primary school which closed two years ago will be used to cope with the overspill.
Demand for SEND places for pupils aged between four and 19 currently exceeds the current availability of 131 slots at Landgate School in Ashton-in-Makerfield – a community school for children with autism and “associated communication and interaction difficulties,”
The council’s cabinet has agreed to use the vacant Abram Bryn Gates School, on Lily Lane in Bamfurlong about three miles from Landgate, to boost admission numbers to 192.
A report authored by Colette Dutton, Wigan’s director of children and families, said the move would allow more children and young people to be educated in the borough rather than sending them out to independent schools ‘where they will have less access to their local communities and services’.
It went on: “Demand for places far exceeds the current capacity, placing reliance on the independent sector to educate children with education, health and care plans (EHCPs).
“Given the number of requests for placements, there is an urgent need to increase the capacity of the school [Landgate] to two forms of entry to 192 pupils (reception to year 11) in line with Wigan’s SEND Sufficiency Strategy.
“The current site is at maximum capacity and has been overdeveloped in terms of the use of mobile units to accommodate additiona pupils on its roll.”
Landgate School was graded as “outstanding” by Ofsted at its most recent inspection on January 14.
Ms Dutton’s report added: “Expanding provision will ensure increased parental choice for children with complex needs within the borough.”
The move will cost Wigan £415,930 [$559K] with cash coming from the council’s high needs provision budget.
There is an ongoing major shake-up in special needs provision in Wigan. . . .
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