Major investment in special needs education for next academic year

After statutory public consultations, Hampshire County Council has announced plans to transform specialist education at four primary schools, significantly boosting support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Gosport, Eastleigh, and Basingstoke

Jan 22 2025

Holbrook Primary School in Gosport will expand its provision for children with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) by an extra nine places from September 2025.  This initiative addresses the rising demand for such placements in the local area. The school will refurbish an unused meeting room and improve hygiene spaces to accommodate the extra places, with a capital investment of £350,000.

Cherbourg Primary School in Eastleigh will expand its Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) provision from seven to 11 places, responding to the growing number of children with SEMH needs in the area. The school will receive revenue funding for the additional places, with no associated capital costs.

Bedenham Primary School in Gosport will increase its SEMH resourced provision from 12 to 18 places by September 2025, addressing the rising number of pupils with SEMH needs locally. The school will receive revenue funding for the additional places and will refurbish an unused classroom, toilets and external area with a capital investment of £360,000.

Saxon Wood School in Basingstoke will adjust its existing specialist provision, which currently supports children with Physical Disabilities, to also meet the needs of children with Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD) and Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD). This change will cater to more complex needs without increasing the number of places, thereby enhancing the breadth of provision at no additional capital cost.

The four schools were all rated as ‘Good’ by OFSTED in their latest inspection reports.

Councillor Steve Forster, Executive Member for Education, welcomed the decision, highlighting its cost-effectiveness and the benefit of providing specialist education close to home.

“We are committed to supporting Hampshire children, whatever their needs, with educational opportunities to achieve their potential within their home communities wherever possible. Keeping such provision within our own successful schools saves costs that would otherwise be spent on special needs provision in the independent sector, often taking children far from their peers and families. It is especially heartening that these expansions are to go ahead following positive feedback from our public consultations, with no objections received,” said Councillor Forster.

Currently, to meet demand, many children requiring specialist educational support are funded by the Local Authority to attend independent schools. The cost difference between resourcing a SEND place in a local authority mainstream or special school and a place in the independent sector is significant. If agreed, the total annual cost of the extra places at Holbrook, Cherbourg, Bedenham and Saxon Wood will be £411,539, compared to an estimated £1.34 million for the same number of day places in independent special schools.

These expansions are in addition to plans to establish a new SEMH special school in Eastleigh which will provide education for up to 125 children ages 8 to 16. If approved, the new school will open in September 2026.

The County Council is also progressing to the final statutory consultation for a total of 41 other additional specialist places at three schools from September 2025. They are Hollywater School, Bordon (20 SLD places), Velmead Junior School, Fleet (12 ASC places), and Fleet Infant School, Fleet (9 ASC places).

The public notice consultations for these will start on 24 January and will be available here: Public notices | Hampshire County Council.