School’s concerns on option to increase special needs school places in district

SPECIAL needs school places at primary and secondary ages will be increased in Calderdale, senior councillors have agreed.

Calderdale Council’s cabinet members agreed an option which will also see special provision for pupils who have social, emotional and mental health issues (SEMH).

The decision means £21m given by the Department for Education to increase special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) funding in Calderdale will see a new school developed in north Halifax.

It also has implications for the borough’s specialist secondary school, Ravenscliffe, which is based at two sites in Halifax currently, which has some concerns about the option chosen. This will see council land in north Halifax used for an additional campus for Ravenscliffe, keeping Ravescliffe’s Skircoat Green site but releasing its Spring Hall site to develop a site for SEMH pupils.

This option, retaining Skircoat Green’s hydrotherapy pool, comes in at a price tag of £11m to £14m.

It also allows option three to also come into play, using the extra £7m to £10m remaining to expand primary special school places at Calderdale’s

existing Woodbank and Highbury sites.

The options chosen boil down to getting maximum use for the most number of children with the finances that are available, said cabinet member for children and young people’s services, Coun Adam Wilkinson.

Coun Wilkinson, answering a question expressing Ravenscliffe’s concerns about this option – the rejected one would see Calderdale releasing land in north Halifax to relocate Ravenscliffe School’s Skircoat Green site and the school would also keep the Spring Hall site – said with a limited budget available it was the most effective choice.

“Officers’ recommendations are based on supporting as many pupils and schools as possible,” he said.