Hampshire Council Considers Repurposing Vacant Buildings for SEND School Places

Vacant properties owned by the council may be repurposed to increase the availability of school placements for students requiring special educational support. By the academic year 2030/31, Hampshire County Council projects a requirement for an additional 1,800 specialized school positions for students with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND). During a recent assembly, the council endorsed a strategic framework for utilizing appropriate unoccupied structures within its property portfolio to address this anticipated deficit. The council indicated that these initiatives have the potential to reduce expenses and lessen dependence on private sector provisions. As per the proposed framework, the director of children’s services and operations for the council would be authorized to pinpoint assets belonging to the authority that could be appropriate for conversion. Following the identification of such assets, an independent assessment will be conducted to determine the viability and future use of these locations. The number of children receiving an education, health and care plan (EHCP) from the authority, which outlines their specific requirements, has grown significantly over the last ten years. This figure escalated from 5,000 in 2015 to exceed 17,000 by 2024. Approximately 40% of pupils holding an EHCP also require placement in a specialist educational institution. Presently, Hampshire provides 3,434 special school placements and an additional 659 positions within specialist “resourced provision” sections of mainstream schools, encompassing both maintained and academy sectors. Councillor Adrian Collet stated that the new initiative is “desperately needed” for Hampshire’s children, who are presently traveling “very long distances” to access suitable education. He further commented, “If the child can be provided for less than £20,000 a year compared with £70,000 in the private sector, then we’d be mad not to be doing that.”