Decision details

RESOLVED:

1. That the strategy is agreed and the use of £11.5m of the total approved SEND Capital Funding of £79.6m be approved in principle for a programme of adaption and refurbishment of SCC owned assets and maintained schools in Phase 3 of the SEND capital programme to create 400 additional specialist school places in Surrey for September 2021.

2. That delegated authority to agree individual projects and resources is given to the Cabinet Member for All Age Learning and Cabinet Member for Resources, subject to a detailed business case for each scheme.

Reason for Decision:

Following the introduction of The Children and Families Act, 2014 and revised SEND Code of Practice in 2015, Surrey has seen the number of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) increase by between 11-18% each year, resulting in the projected demand for 5,100 specialist school places.

This significant increase in demand for specialist provision has led to a historic over reliance on the independent school sector. Surrey’s ambition is to ensure sufficient maintained placement availability for the cohort of children and young people who have SEND and need specialist placements. The recommended Phase 3 SEND capital investment completes the planning for sufficiency of specialist school places in the academic year 2021/22.  

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Children, Families, Lifelong Learning & Culture Select Committee]