A further 50 places for young people with SEND will be available at Oak Wood Secondary School following approval for a further £2.7m to enhance the provision.
At its meeting on Thursday 11 May, Warwickshire County Council Cabinet agreed the investment of £2.7 million to enhance post-16 provision for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Because of its high value, it needed ratification from Full Council which was agreed this morning (Tuesday 16 May).
The project will see the expansion of the existing offer at Oak Wood Secondary School in Nuneaton, a special school catering for young people aged 11-19 with a wide range of needs.
Nuneaton and Bedworth has been identified as an area of high demand for SEND places across all year groups so the decision is a positive step-forward to expanding provision within the area to meet the needs of learners with SEND.
The significant investment will be used to relocate Oak Wood Secondary School’s existing post-16 provision to a new satellite facility, based at the Bermuda Innovation Centre, St. David’s Way, Nuneaton. Two units, currently unused, will be refurbished to create an additional 50 vocational places for young people with SEND based in the north of the county.
The state-of-the-art facilities will feature specialised classrooms for hair and beauty, food technology and science, as well as indoor and outdoor social and dining areas, a sensory garden and dedicated areas for staff.
As well as being able to offer more space with high-quality teaching spaces, being located at Bermuda Innovation Centre will enable young people to participate in local work placements and build their confidence before they move into adult life, with increased opportunities for independent travel training.
Warwickshire County Council’s portfolio holder for education, Councillor Kam Kaur, said: “This investment will expand the educational provision we are able to offer young people with special educational needs in the area, helping us to meet the additional demand over the next five years due to population growth.
“This is a positive step in many ways. It will enable us to reduce the need to send young people out of county, reducing their travel time and enabling them to be educated within their local community. It will also help us to reduce costs to out of area provision and contribute to a lower carbon footprint for Warwickshire.
“But, most importantly, we believe this new provision will play a crucial role in improving life opportunities for children and young people with SEND, helping them to reach their full potential.”
In addition to the plans for Oak Wood Secondary School, Cabinet also gave its approval for the allocation of a further £72,000 for the development of Bunting Pre-school on the site of Bishopton Primary School, Stratford. A total of £300,000 has now been approved by Cabinet for the project, to replace the current structure with a modernised efficient learning environment.
Speaking after the Council meeting, Cllr Peter Butlin, portfolio holder for finance and property at Warwickshire County Council, said: “This is an excellent example of work that goes on behind the scenes to support schools and educationalists to give our children the best start in life.“
The Cabinet papers for this decision are available here: https://democracy.warwickshire.gov.uk/documents/s30575/Education%20Capital%20Programme%20202324.pdf
Watch the Cabinet livestream for this item here: https://warwickshire.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/760424/start_time/339000