Chiswick School To Expand With SEN Unit

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Strand on the Green one of borough schools to get funding

A Chiswick primary has been approved for additional council funding to help install a special educational needs (SEN) unit.

Strand on the Green Infant and Junior School will be able to accommodate twenty-one pupils in its new Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) unit. It will the first unit of this kind in a Chiswick school.

Councillors agreed plans this week to expand the borough's special educational needs (SEN) provision with extra funding.

The unit in Chiswick will be built on the site of the school and the children would be part of the school community but would attend the unit for specialist matters. The unit is to cater for high-functioning children on the autistic spectrum who would be fully integrated into classes.

Parents at Strand Infant and Junior schools were informed and consulted about the new Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) unit at meetings and consultations last year.

Borough-wide there will be 86 new places for children with special needs, bringing the total number provided by the council to 967. 

Cllr Tom Bruce, cabinet member for education and HR at the council, said: “We, in common with other boroughs across London, are experiencing an increase in the number of children with special educational needs. The plans are designed to increase the number of SEN centre places to help as many of our pupils as possible to be educated in the borough, in the most suitable setting.    

“At the same time as expanding the number of SEN places available, we will also be able to make land available for a new primary school to help meet the demand for mainstream school places.”  

The plans were agreed because Hounslow’s population is growing and more pupils are entering school with SEN and disabilities. In the last four years alone, the number of pupils with a statement of SEN has risen more than 10 per cent. Special schools in the borough are full and surrounding boroughs report similar pressure on their own special schools.  

The decision now means:  

• Relocating Key Stage 4 provision from Wood Lane to West Thames College in Feltham;
• Relocating Key Stage 3 provision from Busch Corner to Wood Lane, freeing up the site for a new 3 form entry primary school;
• Relocating primary provision from The Bridge, at Fairholme School, to vacant premises at Southville School;
• Consultation will begin on expanding Cedars Special School to create extra places for September 2016;
• Additional funding to complete the expansion of the SEN centre at Strand-on-the-Green;
• Additional funding to expand SEN provision at Lindon Bennett Special School.  

 

 

January 17, 2014