Council to spend £7m on SEND school facilities

DEMAND IS GROWING FOR SEND PLACES

- By GARETH LIGHTFOOT

ALMOST £9m will be spent on improving facilities at four Stockton schools, including more than £7m on facilities for children with special needs and disabilities.

Leaders at Stockton Council say they want to make sure “no child is left behind” at a time of rising demand and pressure to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

It has agreed to spend the money from available capital funds, including grants and money from housing developers as part of planning permission agreements.

The council's cabinet agreed at its last meeting to spend:

■£5.35m on building works at St John the Baptist Primary School in Ragworth, to maintain the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) unit, which is full with 24 children;

■£1.7m to create a SEND unit for children with speech, language and communication needs at Mill Lane Primary School, for 10 children at first but potentially for 30 children later;

■£1.16m to install an additional toilet block at Northfield School & Sports College, where 590 pupils currently have access to just 14 toilets;