Portsmouth is poised to enhance support for children with severe and complex special educational needs and disabilities.
The city’s Omega Centre could become a specialised school, pending a proposed funding increase of nearly £2.8 million.
This month, Portsmouth City Council will make a decision, if greenlit, the project's total investment would rise to £7.5 million, allowing for a 25% expansion in the school’s capacity.
Plans were announced last year to return the building to its original use as a school with the latest news meaning it could offer 76 places to support secondary and post-16 education for young people in the city.
Like most of the country, Portsmouth has seen a significant increase in demand for SEND school places in recent years and this additional funding will help to deliver the places that are needed to ensure local schools have the right provision to meet pupil’s needs.
Council Leader Cllr Steve Pitt said: “These proposals continue our ongoing investment in Portsmouth schools to ensure we can give the city’s children the best education possible. There is a growing number of children in the city with special educational needs and it’s vital we give them the environment they need to thrive, so I’m very pleased we’ve been able to allocate funding specifically for creating those places in the city.”
The budget proposals also include more than £1.5m to support essential maintenance at schools across the city to ensure they can continue to offer children the facilities they require.
These proposals are part of the Council’s capital budget, which can be used for major one-off projects and statutory improvements. The capital funding can’t be used for funding the ongoing delivery of council services.
The budget proposals will be considered at the Full Council meeting on 25 February for approval.
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