£6.3 Million investment to create 140 places for pupils with special needs in Rotherham

RMBC hopes to see long-term savings because educating a child in a mainstream setting with extra support costs £8,000 a year compared to £22,000 in a special school or £65,000 at an independent provider.

Cabinet members voted last Monday to create 140 places at the 13 schools which expressed an interest in hosting one of the “resource bases” to help them teach children with SEND (special educational needs and disabilities).

The creation of these units will be funded by RMBC’s high needs capital allocation, with £3.3 million allocated for the works.

Council leader Cllr Chris Read said: “We know from the stories we hear that for too many parents with children with special educational needs, it’s just too difficult to get into appropriate school places.

“Not just in Rotherham but right across the country, parents are given difficult decisions to make about the journeys that they have to make, their children have to make, about travel times, and their place in the community, from which they can become disjointed.

“This is a significant amount of money that will ease those pressures and help more Rotherham children to get appropriate education right here in the borough and actually, in many cases, very close to where they live.”

The schools taking part are Thrybergh, Winterhill, Dinnington, St Pius, Wales and Brinsworth secondaries, plus primaries Dalton Foljambe, Bramley Sunnyside, Meadow View, Highfield Farm, Thurcroft Junior Academy, Maltby Manor and Brinsworth Whitehill.

Meanwhile, £3 million will be split between mainstream and special schools over the next four years for physical access to buildings and specialist equipment.

The funding is boosted by RMBC’s £20 million “safety valve” agreement with the government which aims to focus support on places facing challenges because of high demand for specialist provision.

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