Approval has been given to expand the number of specialist school places to create more in-house provision in three Hampshire schools.

Hampshire County Council is creating more special education needs and disabilities (SEND) placements across its schools.

Councillor Steve Forster approved the recommendation on September 13 to create almost 28 extra places. In the 2022-23 school year, 24 of the 28 specialist schools in Hampshire were over capacity. 

The £482,464 that will be spent on the extra provision will allow Heathfield Special School in Fareham, Haven Nursery School in Gosport, and Pennington Church of England Junior School in Lymington to create more places from September 2024.

Figures show more children in Hampshire have education, health, and care plans (EHCP), detailing their additional needs, and without one, they can’t be supported properly, and their education could be at risk.

Currently, around 16,784 children in Hampshire have an EHCP, but it is forecasted that by 2030/31, there will be around 28,000.

The county council said provision for these plans at private schools is expensive for councils in a difficult financial situation.

As of March this year, the average cost for an independent and non-maintained special school place (INMSS) was £70,489, compared to £17,117 for a state school.

Executive lead member for children’s services, Councillor Roz Chadd, welcomed the extra places and praised the county council for continuing to increase the offer and finding new ways to offer the placement and the services it already had.