A former Isle of Wight school building could be brought back into use as part of a plan to increase school places for children with special educational needs.
The Isle of Wight council has announced ambitious plans, including enlarging St George’s School, a special school for 11 to 19-year-olds with complex learning difficulties, by creating a ‘satellite’ provision at the former Studio School in East Cowes.
Another plan is to double the provision at Greenmount Primary School for autistic children, from six places to 12.
150 new places created in next two years
Altogether, the authority’s new education access and inclusion director, Naomi Carter said the council is going to increase specialist provision across the Island, with 150 new places created in the next two years.
St George’s currently has the capacity for 188 pupils at its base on Watergate Road, Newport, but the authority is proposing to increase its admission number to 208.
It means 20 pupils with autism and social, emotional and mental health conditions would be taught in new facilities at the former Studio School in East Cowes.
Only operated for five years
The Studio School opened in the former East Cowes Primary School building, on Grange Road, in 2014, but only operated for five years, closing in 2019 due to low pupil numbers.
The building has been empty ever since.
The scheme’s aim to reduce the amount the council is spending on placements and packages for those children and young people who are currently being educated outside a school setting.
‘Safety Valve’ agreement
It is part of the council’s ‘Safety Valve’ agreement with the Department for Education which could clear nearly £12.7 million of education spending debt if the council meets financial targets.
While it would cost an estimated £230,000 for the two projects, the council hopes in the long-term it would reduce the cost.
Bringing children back into the school system
Speaking at a meeting of the children’s education scrutiny committee last night (Thursday), Ms Carter said it was also about bringing children back into the school system and removing inappropriately placed children from mainland schools.
It would be a phased programme of increasing places, she said, as the council cannot ‘carry on’ with the amount it spends on educating the approximately 70 children outside a school setting.
Carter: We need to have a different, more therapeutic offer
Ms Carter said,
“We need to act quickly. The biggest issue we are going to have is winning the hearts and minds of Island families and parents’ confidence in the system.
“We need to have a different, more therapeutic offer which can meet children’s needs within a different school environment.
“We haven’t got a magic pot of money and we have to be creative with the resources we have but we believe we can do it.”
If agreed, the changes could come into effect from 1st September 2024.
Take part in the consultation
A six-week consultation has started today (Friday). Anyone wishing to comment has until 19th April.
Comments can be sent via email to [email protected] or post to County Hall in Newport and the strategic education development team.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
