Island Councillors To Decide On Major SEND Expansion At Lionheart School

A significant expansion of SEND provision at an Isle of Wight school could be approved this week.

Councillors on the Island’s children’s services, education and skills committee will decide on Thursday (January 15) whether to increase places at Lionheart School from 120 to 180 — a 50 per cent rise.

The additional places would be aimed at children with complex, high-anxiety mental health needs, with the expansion due to take effect from September at the former Cowes Primary School site.

A report to the committee highlights growing demand for so-called Section 19 education provision, which councils are legally required to arrange for children who cannot attend mainstream school because of illness, exclusion or other reasons.

It says referrals for Section 19 places are increasing rapidly, particularly in the spring and summer months, and are expected to continue rising.

The report states the expansion at Lionheart School is needed to respond to this demand and allow better planning of resources.

Funding for the project would come from the council’s High Needs Capital Funding allocation from the Department for Education, with ongoing revenue costs met through the High Needs block of the Dedicated Schools Grant.

The additional 60 places are estimated to cost £1.2 million, equating to around £20,400 per child.

Without the extra provision, the report warns that pupils’ educational outcomes could continue to suffer, with children struggling to access the curriculum and facing gaps in learning and development.

A public consultation on the proposals ran from November 21 to December 19 and received two responses.

One raised concerns about whether the former Cowes Primary School site was the most suitable location and asked if transport costs had been considered.

The council says using the site would be an efficient use of existing buildings and that transport needs would be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Another comment suggested holding a meeting with local residents, which did not take place during the consultation.

The report says other opportunities were available for residents to discuss the plans with council officers.

Cowes Town Council has indicated its support in principle for the work of Lionheart School and the proposed expansion.

The children’s services, education and skills committee will meet at County Hall at 5pm on Thursday.