Hampshire County Council to consult on first specialist SEN unit in the county

The first of its kind in Hampshire, the unit would be run by Pennington Church of England Primary School and be based at the former Pennington Infant School site. 

If ultimately agreed, the new unit would provide 50 specialist places, opening in phases from September 2027. It would support children who need more help than a mainstream school can usually provide, but who can still benefit from joining mainstream activities at times. Unlike a Resourced Provision – where children spend up to half their time in mainstream classes while accessing specialist support in the same school– children would spend more of their time in small, specialist classes within the unit, with opportunities to mix with the main school when it is right for them. 

This proposal follows the closure of Pennington Infant School and the move to a single primary school site based at what was previously the junior school. The former infant school buildings offer suitable classrooms and outdoor space, enabling the council to create more specialist places without needing to build a new school. This offers a more flexible and sustainable option for use of the site, allowing children to have the benefits of a dedicated specialist setting, while still being part of a mainstream school community. 

The proposal forms part of the County Council’s wider goal to create more specialist places in Hampshire. This supports more children with special needs to learn closer to home instead of needing to travel long distances, while also reducing the council’s costs relating to  school transport and expensive independent settings.  

If the proposal is approved, the Council will carry out refurbishment work inside the former infant school building and make improvements to safeguarding, parking and drop off arrangements. The school’s existing small SEMH Resourced Provision for eight pupils will continue as normal. 

Councillor Steve Forster, Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Education, said: “This proposal is an important step toward ensuring more children receive the right support close to home. Repurposing the former infant school buildings would allow us to provide high quality specialist places that remain closely aligned with the needs of the community.” 

A four-week statutory consultation will begin in June. Parents, residents and other stakeholders will be able to comment via the Council’s Public Notice process. 

Full details and the consultation timetable will be published at: Consultations and other ways to have your say | About the Council | Hampshire County Council. 
 
For more information about SEND in Hampshire, visit: www.hants.gov.uk/educationandlearning/send.