Introduction
Proposal to expand the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision at Spring Meadow Infants and Nursery School, Ely
Cambridgeshire County Council plans to make changes to the Unit at Spring Meadow Infant and Nursery School, located at High Barns, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB7 4RB. These changes are expected to take effect in the summer of 2025, pending the completion of the necessary building work.
Background
Spring Meadow Infant and Nursery school has recently been inspected by Ofsted in March 2024 and was rated as ‘Good’. The main school has fewer students, with 135 children enrolled. There are also 33 children in the Nursery and 10 children in the Autism SEND unit. Previously the school was a 4-form entry and is now a 2-form entry school, meaning there is now accommodation available in the school to utilised.
The Local Authority is creating a plan to provide better support for children and young people with special needs and disabilities (SEND) and their Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCP). They are looking to extend current provisions as well as creating new establishments as required.
Proposal
Three distinct changes to the current school offer are being consulted on, these are.
- An expansion of the current unit which currently offers 10 places, by an additional 20 to offer 30 places in total.
- Change the age range of the unit from 4-7 years old to 4-9 years old to help children develop and get ready for the next stage of their education.
Update the school designation to support children with Autism and significant Speech and Language Communication Needs (SLCN).
Implementation Plan
Cambridgeshire County Council will have a consultation on the proposed changes for four weeks, from Monday, 30 September 2024, to Friday, 25 October 2024. This consultation aims to gather feedback from everyone interested.
The Council will review all comments received during this period before making a decision about the proposed changes. If approved, the changes are expected to take effect in the summer term of 2025, depending on the completion of necessary building work.
Decision
The consultation for these proposals closed on Friday 25 October 2024. The Local Authority as the decision-maker for these proposals has approved them for implementation, with effect from Tuesday 3 December 2024.
