Plans to increase SEND provision in Bristol ‘significantly delayed’

Campaigners have hit out at failures to act on the lack of special educational needs placements in Bristol as the gap between supply and demand widens.

A letter sent to councillors by the city’s director of education revealed plans to improve and increase provision have been “significantly and unavoidably” delayed due to the pandemic.

This means around 250 children and young people who are entitled to a place within a specialist school will instead have to go into a mainstream setting in September, with additional support in place for them.

The number of pupils affected by the lack of placements has increased from just under 200 in August, amid fears the gap between supply and demand will only increase further as the backlog of educational health care plans (EHCPs) is processed, likely resulting in more placements.

Anna Keen, Bristol City Council’s cabinet lead for education, has said an improved support system is being put in place for affected pupils and that a new panel will oversee the process of matching children to placements as they become available.

But parents and campaigners have expressed anger at the “dire lack” of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision, arguing the council should have heeded warnings and taken action to increase the number of specialist school places sooner.

Responding to the letter in a tweet, Tim Kent, Lib Dem councillor for Hengrove & Whitchurch Park and SEND campaigner, said: “Parents, councillors, the media have been warning about the dire lack of special school places in Bristol for the last two to three years. Fobbed off and ignored. Now this.”

Kent told Bristol24/7: “I accept resources are limited, but it was quite clear what was being proposed last summer would just about meet the need that already existed.

“It was clear then there was not going to be enough capacity and we know there were hundreds of requests for EHCPs in the system.”

Campaigner Jen Smith, who is standing for election as a Lib Dem candidate in Central ward in May, also expressed her anger on Twitter, saying she has warned about the lack of placements on countless occasions.

In August, the council pledged to invest £28.7m to improve specialist schools and increase the number of places available for those currently waiting.

The work, which included the relocation of Elmfield School for Deaf Children in Westbury-on-Trym into a fully refurbished building and a new building for Claremont Special School, with campuses in Henleaze and Redland, has now been set significantly set back due to the impact of the pandemic.

Kent believes an entirely new specialist school is needed for Bristol. While the council is responsible for providing specialist placements, a new school would need to be provided by the private sector, but Kent argues city leaders should have been more proactive in pushing for this knowing the increasing demand for SEND placements.

He says a specialist school placement for those children who have been identified as needing one is the only way of ensuring they have the best access to education and the best outcomes.

The council has confirmed 250 children and young people who are eligible for specialist settings will instead be offered a mainstream place in September, adding that the exact number affected changes regularly because the assessment and review processes for EHCPs are ongoing.

In a statement, Keen said: “Bristol City Council strives for full inclusion for all citizens and therefore it is to be expected that in some instances a mainstream school with specialist support is a more appropriate education setting for individual children and young people.

“We are putting in place an improved system of support for children and young people who have been identified as being in need of a specialist placement; this includes enhanced modifications within their mainstream setting, provision of specialist equipment and access to advice from specialist school staff and external agencies. We have also set up a new panel to oversee the process of matching children and young people to specialist placements as they become available.”

She said the £28m investment in SEND provision will result in major improvements to current special schools, as well as significantly increasing the number of specialist places available.

“This programme includes new-builds, as well as the modification and extension of current buildings, increasing capacity of our specialist schools, and creating more specialist school placements in mainstream schools,” continued Keen.

“However, our plans to increase specialist places across the city have experienced significant and unavoidable delays due to the pandemic.”

Keen added that the relocation of Elmfield School and new build at Claremont will result in buildings that appropriately meet the needs of children and young people with SEND.

Main photo courtesy of Bristol SEND campaigners

Read more: £28.7m investment in SEND provision as Bristol is unable to meet current need