SEND Provision Could Increase By 60 Places At Island School

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision could increase by 50 per cent at an Isle of Wight school.

County Hall’s children’s services, education and skills committee will on Thursday evening (November 20) decide on a recommendation to publish a public notice for expanding the Lionheart School from 120 to 180 places.

The extra places would be for children with complex high anxiety mental health needs and provided at the former Cowes Primary School site from September 2026, a committee report says.

“Section 19 of the Education Act 1996 places a duty on local authorities to arrange suitable education for children of compulsory school age who cannot attend school due to illness, exclusion, or other reasons,” the document says.

“There has been a consistent growth in demand for support under Section 19.

"Whilst referral numbers fluctuate sharply, since the start of 2025 there has been a significant and sustained increase in the number of referrals being made.

“Capital funding utilised for this project will come from the High Needs Capital Funding allocation provided to the council from the Department for Education.

“Revenue funding will be provided through the High Needs block of the Dedicated Schools Grant.”

A lack of SEND school places can adversely affect the ‘long-term prospects’ of children and young people on the Isle of Wight, the report warns.

It says the council is committed to the further development of successful provision to deal with the growing demand within the SEND sector and assist children in having their needs met in their local community.

If committee members approve the recommendation, a public notice will be issued on November 21 and a related consultation period would run until December 19.

The committee will meet at County Hall at 5pm this Thursday.