Plan to focus on special needs and free school

County’s updated educational strategy

DEVELOPING A free school and providing more mainstream provision for rising numbers of children with special educational needs are among the main goals of North Yorkshire’s updated fiveyear plan.

Around 11 per cent of the school population has special educational needs in the county. There are also 3,050 youngsters, aged up to 25, who have Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).

Although the population of children and young people in the county continues to fall, the number of those identified as having special educational needs is still rising.

The number of young people with EHCPs is forecast to rise to more than 3,300 by 2022.

North Yorkshire County Council is working with the Department for Education and an unnamed academy trust on plans to provide a free special school in Selby.

A significant number of children have to travel outside the county to other local authority maintained special schools, leading to concerns from parents and carers over the amount of time youngsters are travelling.

The council has also been working on plans to develop more targeted provision across the county, so that more pupils can be supported in mainstream schools in their areas.

The authority is working with a small number of schools currently, but hopes in future to increase the number to 31.

In 2018 the council produced a strategic plan for special educational

needs for children from birth to the age of 25.

A review was published earlier this year and now an updated version has been produced.

Other goals include collaborating on a plan to meet the needs of pre-school children, working with the Parent Carer Voice forum, which has been bought sharply into focus by the

Coun Patrick Mulligan, Executive Member for Education and Skills. rising number of very young children with special educational needs.

Finding sources of funding to continue updating and improving the county council’s special schools is also another key priority.

Coun Patrick Mulligan, Executive Member for Education and Skills, said: “It is important that children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families have choices and opportunities in education and that they are also supported in their local communities as far as possible.

“This plan ensures children and young people can remain in the heart of their communities and all the benefits that brings, whilst also having access to a wide range of appropriate support.”

Jane le Sage, Assistant Director for Inclusion with Children and Young People’s Services, said: “These actions are ambitious and rightly so. We want children and young people with SEND to have the best chances to fulfil their potential and achieve their hopes for adulthood.

“The plan will enable us to put the right support in place for children at the right time, so those children who can access the curriculum in a mainstream school with the right support, can do so in their own communities with their friendship groups around them.

She added: “Through this plan we will be working with the Government to develop a special free school in the Selby area and also investing in our existing special schools to meet the needs of more North Yorkshire children and young people.”

This ensures young people can remain in the heart of their communities.