The Cabinet has decided to establish and expand Resourced Provisions at multiple schools to accommodate the increasing number of children with special needs in the area.

URL: https://www.southampton.gov.uk/modernGov/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=3555

Decision Maker: Cabinet

Outcome:

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: Yes

Purpose: To consider the report of the Cabinet Member of Children's & Learning seeking approval of the establishment of SEND Resourced Provision at maintained and academy schools, and the release of capital fund allocation to facilitate this.

Content: (i)  To approve the proposal to establish a Resourced Provision at St Patrick’s Primary School for Moderate Learning Difficulties/Autistic Spectrum Condition for 5 spaces from September 2025, increasing to 13 spaces in September 2026. (ii)  To approve the proposal to establish and expand a Resourced Provision at Cantell School for Moderate Learning Difficulties/Autistic Spectrum Condition for 21 spaces from September 2025, increasingly in annual increments of 10 spaces until a maximum of 51 spaces in September 2028. (iii)  To approve the proposal to establish and expand a Resourced Provision at Redbridge Community School for Social Emotional Mental Health /Autism Spectrum Condition with Emotionally Based School Absence, with the caveat that this is to 15 places for September 2025, with further expansion to 20 places agreed pending review of provision in 2026. (iv)  To authorise the Executive Director for Children and Learning to take any action necessary as to the expansion of the Resourced Provision at Redbridge Community School for Social Emotional Mental Health /Autism Spectrum Condition with Emotionally Based School Absence, within the parameters given in recommendation (iii). (v)  To approve the proposal to expand the Resourced Provision at Redbridge Community School for Hearing Impairment incrementally to a maximum of 14 spaces in 2028. 1.  In the High Needs Block Guidance for 2025/26, The Department for Education have stated: The government has made it clear that the general direction of SEND reform is towards establishing a mainstream school and college environment that is more inclusive of children and young people who need specialist SEND provision, including in SEN units and resourced provision (RP). The department is working on a range of reforms that will facilitate that shift.   Specially resourced provision (SRP) and Designated Units (Units) SRP and Units provide additional specialist facilities on a mainstream school site for a small number of pupils, typically less than 30, who usually have EHC plans or statements of special need. SRP and Units tend to provide for a specific need such as speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), hearing or visual impairment (HI/ VI) or autism. Less commonly they may provide for pupils with a physical disability (PD) or behavioural difficulty. SRP and Units vary widely, often reflecting the local approach to inclusion.   There is a difference between SRP and Units. In SRP pupils spend most of their time (usually well over 50% of their timetable) in mainstream classes. They only attend the SRP facilities for individual support, to learn a specific skill (for example braille for VI pupils), to receive medical or therapeutic support (for PD pupils) or to access specialist equipment. The facilities can be in a suite or dispersed throughout the school. Pupils in a Unit spend the majority of their time there, only attending mainstream classes for a few lessons, such as PE, for assembly or for lunch. Pupils in both settings are on the roll of the mainstream school.   2.  SEND Place Planning suggests an increase in Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) of 538 between 2024 and 2027, at primary and secondary phase.   176 of these pupils will have their needs met by the additional 176 special school places in the SEND Capital Programme. 191 children are anticipated to be accommodated by mainstream schools.   The further c.170 pupils with EHCPs will require accommodation in Resourced Provisions by 2027, anticipated on the following pattern:   Current number of places in 2024/25 – 83 2025/26 - 80 additional places (total places 163) 2026/27 – 120 additional places (total places 203) 2027/28 – 170 additional places (total places 253)   3.  The proposals in this paper are those that affect maintained schools who have been identified to provide places from September 2025, in ‘Phase 1’ of the expansion of Resourced Provision places in the City.   Further proposals at identified academies are in motion but are not required to be approved by Cabinet as academy schools follow a separate statutory process.   Further proposals at both maintained schools and academies are being explored for Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the plans above and will be consulted on in the new academic year.

Date of Decision: August 26, 2025