Plans for Former School to Serve as Campus for SEND Students

A former educational institution may soon be repurposed to enhance the availability of resources for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Wiltshire Council is exploring the possibility of transforming Calder House Independent School, located near Colerne, into an auxiliary campus affiliated with an existing special education facility. However, the specific institution has yet to be disclosed.

The envisioned Northwood Centre is projected to operate at an annual cost of £1.27 million for 50 high-need placements, significantly lower than the £3.1 million required for similar placements at independent non-maintained specialist schools (INMSS).

Jon Hubbard from Wiltshire Council emphasized, “The campus will create urgently-needed places locally, reduce costs, and deliver on our commitment to inclusive, high-quality education.”

Jon Hubbard from Wiltshire Council emphasized, “The campus will create urgently-needed places locally, reduce costs, and deliver on our commitment to inclusive, high-quality education.”

Statistics reveal that the average cost for a full-time placement at an INMSS is £62,219, whereas placements at maintained or academy special schools average £25,471, according to council data.

The council aims for the Northwood Centre to lessen the dependence on INMSS placements, which are frequently situated outside the county.

Mr. Hubbard reiterated, “We want our children in need of a special school place to remain in our county and are determined to meet that need. We are taking proactive steps to ensure children and young people with SEND receive the right education in the right place.”

Mr. Hubbard reiterated, “We want our children in need of a special school place to remain in our county and are determined to meet that need. We are taking proactive steps to ensure children and young people with SEND receive the right education in the right place.”

Philip Tansley, the CEO of Wiltshire Portage, a charity supporting families with SEND, acknowledged the plans as positive but noted that there was still progress to be made in SEND provisions.

He remarked, “I had a child with SEND and there is always a worry where the provision is going to come from in the future. Wiltshire Council is still pretty good compared to a lot of other councils. They only have so much money and it is a question of balancing the books, which is the hard thing.”

He remarked, “I had a child with SEND and there is always a worry where the provision is going to come from in the future. Wiltshire Council is still pretty good compared to a lot of other councils. They only have so much money and it is a question of balancing the books, which is the hard thing.”

This initiative represents a significant step towards addressing the educational needs of SEND children within the community, aiming to provide better local solutions for families.