30 new SEND places could be coming to Pear Tree School in Kirkham under new Lancashire County Council plans
‘This is why we are proposing a raft of new places.’
Lancashire County Council is asking people for their views on plans to create 220 additional SEND places across the county, including 30 on the Fylde coast at Pear Tree School in Kirkham.
The proposals are aimed at meeting increased demand for school places for children with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) across both mainstream and special schools in Lancashire.
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As part of the plans, Pear Tree School could gain 30 extra places from September 2027. The community special school, based in Kirkham within the Fylde district, currently caters for 110 children and young people aged two to 19.
CC Matthew Salter, cabinet member for Education and Skills, said: "We know there is significant need for more school places in Lancashire for children with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), both in special schools and SEND Units in mainstream schools.
"This is why we are proposing a raft of new places, to ensure children who need a specialist setting can access it as close to home as possible, and to help them achieve and to thrive."
The school provides support for pupils with speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disabilities, severe learning difficulties, and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
The expansion proposals follow Lancashire County Council’s SEND Capital Strategy, approved in February this year after feedback from parents, carers and practitioners through meetings, open events and surveys held last summer.
People will also have a further opportunity to comment on proposed building alterations through the planning process in September.