Major funding boost to support special educational needs education

This follows a number of recent decisions by the council’s cabinet to support the expansion of school facilities to ensure more local children can access the education they need closer to home, through its Dedicated School Grant.

Projects include a new SEN learning space at Norden Primary Academy, delivered in partnership with The Harmony Trust, which will provide primary school places for up to 22 children.

The council is also working closely with Redwood Special School to provide an additional 20 secondary school places, while also supporting their sixth form provision at the Phoenix Centre.

These projects build on recent successes, including new SEN provision at Deeplish Primary Academy, thanks to a purpose-built extension at the school which now supports 24 primary age children who have additional speech, language and communication needs.

As well as benefiting local families, projects like these will help the council to reduce its reliance on expensive out of borough placements within the independent and private SEN school sector, a move which could save the council up to approximately £7.8 million in the coming years.

Councillor Rachel Massey, cabinet member for children’s services and education, said:

“This investment and the establishment of these new local specialist hubs highlights our ongoing commitment to the futures of our children and young people and the steps we are taking to become even more inclusive as a borough.

“We want to thank our partners for their support in helping us to expand our provision and in helping to ensure children with additional needs can access the right support closer to home in their local community, surrounded by their families and friends.”

Paul Evans, headteacher of Redwood Special, added:

“We are proud of our kind and highly inclusive approach to specialist education and we welcome the opportunity to further expand, supporting more young people and their families across the borough.”

Antony Hughes, chief executive of The Harmony Trust, said:

“We are excited to be working in such strong partnership with Rochdale Borough Council on our new Inclusion Hub at Norden Academy.

“The hub will mean that more children who need specialist support for their speech, language, and communication needs can access their local school and enjoy all the benefits of being with their peers”.