Council To Create More SEND School Places with Expansion of The Avenue

THE Council’s on going drive to create high quality specialist school places to support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is set to continue with the proposed expansion of The Avenue Centre.

If approved by Policy Committee and the Regional Schools Commissioner, the Council’s proposal would see The Avenue Centre converted for school use, creating space for an additional 60 pupils and increasing capacity for SEND children from 175 to 235 pupils at the site.

Under the plans, The Avenue would be expanded, refurbished and transferred to The Avenue School Special Needs Academy Trust, who would become responsible for running costs. It would mean more local SEND pupils could attend a school close to home and in Reading. It would also create a projected £1.5 million saving between 2022 and 2026 by reducing the number of more expensive placements at independent or non-maintained schools, very often out of borough and with high associated transportation costs.

The Avenue Centre is currently partially made up of office space occupied by Reading Borough Council And Brighter Futures for Children staff. Staff would be consulted before relocation to alternative Council-owned sites, including increased working from home where appropriate.

The number of pupils with Education Health and Care (EHC)  Plans in Reading has increased significantly over the last three years,  from 1,282 in Jan 2019, to 1,364 in Jan 2020 and 1,436 in Jan 2021.  Numbers are expected to continue to increase in future years.

The Avenue School has reached its full capacity of 175 students despite having expanded in 2017 by 25 places, with the addition of a double modular classroom, and again in 2019 by refurbishing the Avenue Centre Training Suite to accommodate another 30 pupils. Other maintained SEND schools, both within the borough and out of borough, are also at full capacity.

Estimates show that there is currently sufficient capacity to meet demand for Reading SEND pupils in 2021 with the continued use the ‘Greater Reading’ schools. Demand would also be met in 2022, with the proposed addition of 60 places at the Avenue Academy School, and 75 places at the Council’s co-commissioned Oak Tree School in neighbouring Wokingham Borough. In reality though some of the capacity in the Reading schools is taken up by pupils from other areas.

There are currently around 60 pupils whose EHC Plans identify The Avenue School as the most suitable option, but are not able to be awarded places at this time.  BFfC has reported there are a further 60 pupils currently attending out of borough SEND provision.

If it were not possible to expand The Avenue School, then pupils would need to be placed with other State Funded Special Schools, or Independent non-maintained schools, often outside the borough. Average cost per pupil place at LA or maintained schools can be up to £19,000 per place, and at Independent or non-maintained schools up to £50,000 per place.  A further allowance of £10k transport costs per out of borough placement is then added.

The proposed expansion of The Avenue to cater for increased demand will be discussed at a meeting of Reading Borough Council’s Policy Committee on Monday July 12: https://democracy.reading.gov.uk/documents/s17761/The%20Avenue%20Expansion.pdf

Ashley Pearce, Reading Borough Council’s Lead Councillor for Education, said:

“Every local authority has a duty to ensure there are sufficient high quality and specialist school places for vulnerable pupils and with this proposal the Council intends to build on the tremendous efforts in Reading recent years to expand SEND provision.

“I know from first-hand experience that a specialist teaching and learning environment like this makes a huge difference to pupils who need this additional support and The Avenue is obviously well-placed to deliver it. It is also vitally important that we continue to increase specialist provision as close as possible to pupils homes, which not only makes a big difference to their wellbeing, but also provides associated savings which can be invested in quality teaching, rather than on expensive out of borough placements with extortionately high travel costs.”

Ruth McEwan, the Council’s Lead Councillor for Corporate and Consumer Services, added:

“This proposal makes complete sense, not only in delivering the additional capacity needed in Reading for the increasing number of SEND pupils, but in delivering associated savings to both expensive out of borough placements and the Council’s own running costs by transferring the Centre to the control of The Avenue School Special Needs Academy Trust.

“It is important the Council continues to make the very best use of its buildings and operate them in the most efficient way possible, as we have done very successfully in recent years, in order to relieve ongoing pressure on the Council’s revenue budgets.”

Prof Dr Kate Reynolds, Director of Education at Brighter Futures for Children, said:

“Children and their families benefit greatly from having schools which meet their needs close to home. The expansion of The Avenue school would be an excellent opportunity to provide modern facilities for pupils with special educational needs in a well-established location.

“Brighter Futures for Children will continue to work closely with Reading Borough Council and other partners to help provide additional places for children and young people with SEND in the Reading area in the coming months and years.”

If approved by Policy Committee and the Regional Schools Commissioner, the expansion and refurbishment of the Avenue Centre would be funded through a £5 million Department for Education Grant in the Council’s capital programme which was approved in February this year.