Expansion of special needs spaces at Reffley and Downham Market schools

Nearly 80 spaces have been created at Norfolk schools for children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities.

Two of those will be at Downham’s Nelson Academy, which will increase its capacity from ten to 12 spaces during the autumn term.

A new base is also opening at Reffley Academy, which will grow to a 16-place provision.

This comes as part of Norfolk County Council’s Local First Inclusion (LFI) programme, which will see 76 extra spaces for children with SEND created in infant, junior and high schools across the county.

These schools are already home to a developing network of specialist hubs of inclusive practice (SHIPs), operating within existing specialist resource bases (SRBs) in Norfolk mainstream schools.

Cllr Penny Carpenter, cabinet member for children’s services, said: “Increasing education provision for children with SEND is incredibly welcome news.

“SHIPs have been introduced to the SRB family of provisions across Norfolk mainstream schools to provide children who have co-occurring special educational needs with an enhanced offer of support and a personalised, child-centred approach to learning and development.

“We are committed to providing access to education so that all children in Norfolk can flourish, and this new provision is evidence of just that.”

The additional spaces, as follows, were available from September:

Specialist Hubs of Inclusive Practice (SHIPs):

• Redcastle Family School – growing to 16 place provision.

• Lionwood Infant School, part of the Inclusive Schools Trust – growing to eight place provision.

• Lionwood Junior School, part of the Inclusive Schools Trust– growing to eight place provision.

• Falcon Junior School - growing to eight place provision.

• Sprowston Junior School – four spaces initially, growing to 16 place provision.

A new Social, Emotional and Mental Health Base (SEMH SRBs) is opening at Reffley Academy, part of Ad Meliora Academy Trust, which will grow to a 16-place provision.

Several existing SRBs for children with autism are also increasing their capacity in the autumn term:

• Nelson Academy in Downham, part of Eastern Multi academy Trust – two additional places, an increase from 10 to 12 places.

• Sprowston Infants – eight additional places, an increase from 18 to 26 places with a brand new classroom.

• Edward Worlledge Primary, part of Ormiston Academies Trust – six additional places, an increase from ten to 16 places, including a refurbishment of the existing spaces and an outside trim trail.

Cllr Carpenter added: “These extra provisions include a range of environmental adaptations and carefully designed spaces to support children to flourish and achieve well.

“SHIPs are an exciting new expansion which further honour our commitment to create more specialist places under our LFI programme. I am excited to see our families and children benefit from the leadership and expertise of the schools delivering this important part of our SEND local offer.”

These additional places are part of the £100million LFI programme which pledges to deliver hundreds of new specialist education places across Norfolk.

It also aims to provide significantly more advice, support, and funding for mainstream schools to support inclusion with the 15 new school and community support teams that were introduced in September 2023, to give early help and support to both parents and schools.