Adjustments thought of for particular wants schooling
A COUNCIL, faced with rising costs of educating children with special educational needs and disabilities, is considering major changes to allow more students to be educated in their area and save up to £ 650,000 per year.
North Yorkshire County Council will launch a public consultation on the expansion of housing at Welburn Hall Special School near Kirkbymoorside, which is expected to have a deficit of £ 1.5 million by March.
The proposal could offer students aged eight to 19 with learning disabilities and language, language and communication needs, instead of just senior high school students, accommodation for up to seven nights a week during semester periods.
Officials have warned that such a move would result in fewer housing spaces for the most complex and dependent needs at Welburn Hall, which is one of only two such schools in the county.
The move comes about four years after a government review led by Dame Christine Lenehan, director of the Disabled Children Council at the National Children’s Bureau, concluded that many youths could be educated in special schools and colleges in their local communities if better support would be available.
It also follows the Council, which underlines that due to a lack of funds for special educational needs and disabled pupils, most of the funds have been cut from mainstream schools’ budgets to cover costs up to the current financial year.
According to a report to senior officials and senior members, the agency’s two special schools currently offer dormitories four nights a week.
However, Welburn Hall housing is only offered as part of the high school curriculum to encourage self-employment and adult preparation.
The report said that based on identified care and educational needs at the school, placements will see a sharp drop in high school placements, which will have a significant impact on the school budget.
Officials said the analysis showed how independent and out-of-county housing costs £ 4.7 million annually and that pressures continue to develop within that budget due to the increasing number of children with SEND.
The average cost per student for each placement outside the county or an independent provider is £ 186,958.
In addition, officials found that the majority of youths deemed suitable for Welburn are in need of 38 weeks of full board instead of the current four-day housing offer due to their care needs.
The report said: “As a result of this proposed offering, more young people with these needs would be educated and raised in their local area and the demand for costly independent and out-of-county housing would decrease. ”
