Home / Education / Council Vows to Boost SEND School Attendance
Council Vows to Boost SEND School Attendance
4 Jun
Summary
- Local authority promises 20% reduction in children with SEND not in school.
- Over 3,000 children in Somerset with SEND faced educational challenges last year.
- £9.3m government funding allocated for additional special needs school places.
Somerset Council is initiating a plan to significantly increase full-time school attendance for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The authority aims to reduce the number of these students not receiving full-time education by 20% within three years, a target representing 650 children. This initiative is part of a broader SEND improvement strategy being submitted to the government.
Last year, a report indicated that 3,192 children and young people in Somerset with SEND faced various educational challenges, including severe absence and part-time timetables. While some home-educated children were not negatively impacted, the majority experienced significant detriment. The council now aims for a 50% reduction in this figure over five years.
To support these goals, Somerset Council will receive £9.3 million in government funding. This investment will provide an additional 200 school places for children with Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs), primarily in specialist bases within mainstream schools. An additional £3.6 million is earmarked for 'experts at hand,' such as educational psychologists and speech therapists, to collaborate with educational institutions.
