Council publishes first ever SEND forward plan as numbers skyrocket in Northumberland

Between 2013 and 2022, there were an extra 490 children with an education, health and care plan, which describes the special educational needs of a child or young person aged up to 25. This is a seven per cent rise every year.

Furthermore, it is expected that there will be another increase of 700 pupils by 2026.

Northumberland County Council’s cabinet member for children’s services, Cllr Guy Renner Thompson, said the ‘various’ reasons behind this increase were ‘beyond the council’s control’ and ‘not well understood’.

The five year SEND capacity and place planning strategy states that Northumberland has been ‘reacting to the increased demand for places’, and the plan aims to met the needs of vulnerable children ‘as close to their home communities as possible’.

Speaking at a meeting of the council’s cabinet, Cllr Renner Thompson, member for Bamburgh ward, said: “The number of children who need extra help has increased and is continuing to increase. We have never done this before.”

Council leader Glen Sanderson added: “It is quite striking that the number of children has almost doubled in nine years, and the further 700 increase in the next few years.”

The council’s interim director of children’s services, Audrey Kingham, explained what action would be taken to address the issue.

She said: “This strategy gives us the direction and position to understand where we need to address. We now have an evidence base to be able to understand the areas of need.

“It means far more of our children will travel less and more schools will have investment to support the challenges that they face, provide additional staffing and resources.

“It also means that with the strategy more children will remain in mainstream schools. It is not about having an additional 700 special school places.”

The council is planning to build a new satellite site of Barndale House Special School on the current South Avenue site of James Calvert Spence College in Amble, creating 50 new places for young people with special educational needs and disabilities.