We are working alongside Suffolk County Council to develop additional specialist education places in our schools. Across Suffolk there is a shortfall of specialist places available. This can mean that some pupils have to be educated away from their local communities.

As part of a local authority capital programme an additional 168 new specialist places will be available for children with special educational needs across Suffolk from September 2020.

This is on top of existing specialist provision. Suffolk County Council has undertaken a commissioning process, where schools, who were interested in establishing new provision, provided information on how specialist places would be run and supported by the school.

Schools who were successful in this process, like ours, are currently working with the council to ensure the appropriate infrastructure and support is in place to enable these new units to be open in September 2020.

These places will be offered as part of a dedicated class, with specially trained staff. It will give more children the opportunity to be educated in their community, closer to home. The funding for capital works to our schools is being provided by Suffolk County Council.

• Burton End Primary Academy in Haverhill will be offering 12 places for children in Key Stage 1(age 5-7) to support children with a variety of special educational needs.
• Clements Primary Academy in Haverhill will be offering 18 places for children in Key Stage 2 (age 7-11) to support children with cognition and learning needs.
• Castle Manor Academy in Haverhill will be offering 18 places for children in Key Stages 3 and 4 (age 11-16) to support children with cognition and learning needs.
• Houldsworth Valley Primary Academy in Newmarket will be offering 18 places for children in Key Stage 2 (age 7-11) to support children with communication and interaction needs.
• Newmarket Academy in Newmarket will be offering 18 places for children in Key Stages 3 and 4 (age 11-16) to support children with communication and interaction needs.

These places will be in addition to the school’s current PAN (Planned Admission Number). This means that there will not be a reduction in the number of places available in the usual admissions round.

Allocation of specialist places will follow a separate admissions process and will be for pupils with an education, Health and Care Plan.

We are making this development in order to provide more pupils with their education at a school in their area.

Consultation

We want to hear your views about whether you support these plans and whether you have any additional comments that you would like to add.

Please download the link to the consultation (to the right hand side of this page).

Alternatively, please answer the following questions and email your answers to specialistprovision@unitysp.co.uk. 

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1) Do you support the schools’ plans to create specialist provision for pupils with particular special educational needs?

Yes

No

2) Are you making comments about a specific school? If so, which one?

3) Do you have any more comments to make?

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The consultation will run until Wednesday 11th March.