Derby City Council has set out its strategy to increase the number of school places available within the city for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The authority plans to increase its current 30 ‘hub and spoke’ places per year to 64 for the next five years.

This would allow special school places (spokes) to be provided in currently unused, or under-utilised space within mainstream schools. Pupils would be on roll at the special school but would be taught in the special setting (hub), within the mainstream school.

This will mean more children will access the education they need within their own community, close to their family and friends, and reduce the need for placements outside the area.

Locally and nationally, the SEND system is experiencing increasing demand and is under significant pressure. Many parents do not have confidence in the ability of mainstream schools to meet the needs of children and young people with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), meaning a greater pressure on special school places.

The strategy will be considered for approval by Cabinet on Wednesday 12 April. It aims to develop an inclusive city where children of all needs can be educated together.

It would see the creation of:

• 64 special school ‘hub and spoke’ places per year for the next five years across primary, secondary, and post-16 provision, increased from 30.

• 10 additional special school places per year for the next five years (already agreed at Ivy House School, St Clare’s Special School and The Kingsmead School).

Andy Smith, Strategic Director of People Services commented:

It’s important to make sure children are placed appropriately and have access to the right level of support at the right time. We will achieve this by identifying opportunities, and working with the child and their family, to transition them back into mainstream places where they no longer require the level of provision delivered within a special school.

“We have already seen positive outcomes from the ‘hub and spoke’ model and I’m pleased that we’re in a position to be able to ask Cabinet to increase places in this scheme that is keeping children and young people closer to friends and family.

It is also proposed to strengthen the offer from the city’s existing special schools. This will see them become centres of excellence, with the hope that they provide outreach support to mainstream schools in the area.

The placement strategy has been built on the SEND Capital Programme consultation, which ended in January 2022. The response to this consultation was overwhelmingly supportive of the proposals.

For more information about Derby’s SEND Local Offer see the Derby City Council website.