More than 250 extra places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are to be created in Lancashire.

Six existing local authority special schools will be expanded – two in Preston and others in Lancaster, Carnforth, Poulton-le-Fylde and Skelmersdale.

Meanwhile, eight mainstream schools, two in each of Leyland and Morecambe, as well as sites in Preston, Fleetwood, Thornton-Cleveleys and Skelmersdale – will see SEND units established within their existing facilities.

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The £11.6m project is the latest phase of a Lancashire County Council strategy to ensure more SEND youngsters are educated closer to where they live – and to reduce spiralling bills for home-to-school transport, as well as the cost of placing children in privately-run special schools.

A cabinet meeting at which the schemes were agreed heard the average private special school place came with a price tag of £65,000 per year, whereas the county council’s own SEND provision typically cost less than a sixth of that – at £10,000.

A total of 265 places will be generated by the projects – 169 by the expansion of special schools, which will cost an estimated £8.2m, and 96 in the new mainstream SEND units.

Conservative cabinet member for education and skills Jane Rear said she was pleased public consultations into the proposals had returned generally “positive” results – and that more children can be educated “nearer to their homes and familiar communities”.

Where objections had been raised to the plans, concerns often revolved around the claimed potential for enlargements of the special schools having a negative impact on current pupils.

However, Labour opposition group leader Matthew Tomlinson said he welcomed the moves – particularly the new SEND units.

“We have been driving some of these children twice a day to be educated a long way from home, which is not good for anyone – let alone a child for whom school may be more difficult,” County Cllr Tomlinson said.

The SEND facilities to be developed within mainstream schools will make use of vacant spaces or create brand new accommodation.  A report presented to the cabinet said any changes would be “sympathetic to each school setting”, with work carried out in a way that minimised disruption.

What’s being done where?

Special school expansions

***Acorns Primary School, Preston (pupils aged 2-11, with generic learning difficulties) – creating 20 new places.

***Bleasdale School, Carnforth (pupils aged 2-19 years with profound and multiple learning disabilities and/or a diagnosis of autistic spectrum condition) – creating 30 new places.

***Brookfield School, Poulton-le-Fylde (pupils aged 11-16 with social, emotional and mental health needs) – creating 45 new places over three years.

***Hope High School, Skelmersdale (pupils aged 11-16 with social, emotional and mental health needs) – creating 24 new places.

***Moorbrook School, Preston (pupils aged 11-16 with social, emotional and mental health needs) – creating 20 new places.

***The Loyne Specialist School, Lancaster (pupils aged 4-19 with severe to profound learning difficulties and, potentially, additional medical needs, sensory impairments and autism) – creating 30 new places.

New SEND units in mainstream schools

***Brockholes Wood Primary, Preston – creating 16 places (subject to forthcoming formal consultation returning similar results to previous informal survey.

***Chaucer Community Primary, Fleetwood – improvements to unit opened in September 2024, creating eight places.

***Delph Side Community Primary, Skelmersdale creating places for 12 children with social communication and interaction needs.

***Grosvenor Park Primary, Morecambe – creating eight places for children with social communication and interaction needs.

***Morecambe Bay Community Primary, Morecambe – improvements to unit opened in September 2024, creating eight places.

***Northbrook Primary Academy, Leyland – creating 16 places for children with social communication and interaction needs.

***Thornton Primary, Thornton-Cleveleys – creating eight places for children at Key Stage 2, with social emotional and mental health needs.

***Wellfield Academy, Leyland – creating 20 places for children with social communication and interaction needs.

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