Three new Resource Bases are planned for local schools to increase the number of places in mainstream schools for children with additional needs.
Resource Bases are facilities within schools where children can receive extra help and support from specialist staff, while also accessing the wider school so they can continue to learn with their friends and peers.
The extra places will help more children who need extra help attend schools that are right for them in their local areas, avoiding the need to travel to access specialist support.
The focus of the new places will be to support children with social emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs, and for pupils with moderate learning difficulties (MLD) and/or speech language and communication needs (SLCN).
The proposals are being presented to South Gloucestershire Council Cabinet to agree to add the projects to the capital programme, which is designed to help the council and schools in the district better meet the needs of all children, in high quality schools and educational placements in their local area.
The £4.725million funding for these projects is provided to the council by the Government to make improvements to local schools.
South Gloucestershire Council Cabinet Member with responsibility for schools, Cllr Ian Boulton, said: “All our children deserve the opportunity to be able to go to a good local school that meets their needs. These investments will help more families be able to choose their local school with confidence, knowing that the specialist help their children need is available locally, meaning they can learn and grow with their friends and neighbours.
“We know that pupils who need extra help really benefit from accessing resource bases, where they can have more individually tailored, specialist help, including learning in smaller groups and specialist resources and services.
“The specialist staff who work in resource bases also help support the wider schools they are part of, improving outcomes for SEN pupils across the school.”
Once agreed, these projects will be taken forward with the aim for the new places to be available for children from the 2027/28 academic year. All proposals will be subject to consultations with the local community, to ensure that parents and carers have opportunity to share their views on the plans, so that we can deliver excellent quality provision tailored to meeting the needs of children and their families.
The schemes are the latest among the council’s capital projects that will make a real difference to families and children in South Gloucestershire.