Some children may need extra help because of a range of special educational needs, such as:
- Thinking and understanding
- Physical or sensory difficulties
- Speech and language difficulties
- Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
The special educational needs and disability service works in partnership with parents, schools and other agencies to provide additional support and resources for children and young people who have learning difficulties and disabilities.
There is a wide range of services available in Blackpool for supporting children and young people at the various stages of their education and development.
Extra help in an early years setting/ school/ college
All settings will have a nominated person who can offer help and advice should you have any concerns.
In addition, there are a range of central services, specialist teachers for hearing, vision, autism, severe and complex needs, physical disabilities, dyslexia, early years teachers, the portage team and educational psychologists who can offer additional help and support.
Statutory assessment
This helps us gain information about your child's special educational needs and to determine the level of support needed.
This is usually needed when a child has severe and complex needs that can't be met by the resources normally available to schools and early years settings.
We make a parent support officer available as well as giving access to an independent parent partnership officer. The statutory assessment team officers and caseworkers also help to guide parents through the process of asking for a statutory assessment.
Local offer
All the information which relates to support for children with special needs is now found on Blackpool’s Local offer.
Capital funding for special educational needs and disabilities
Over recent years, the Department for Education has allocated funding to local authorities for the creation and improvement of provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
This sets out how this funding has been used, or how it is proposed that it is used:
Special Provision Capital Funding
In March 2017, the government announced the allocation of capital funding over three years from 2018 to 2021 to help local authorities create new school places and improve existing facilities for children and young people with SEND.
Blackpool’s original allocation of £500k was increased by further allocations announced in May 2018 and in December 2018, resulting in a total allocation of £849k.
Following the publishing of the local authority’s plans, this funding was used as a contribution towards the cost of the major refurbishment scheme at Woodlands School that was completed in September 2018, delivering significant improvements in the fabric of the school’s buildings.
High needs provision capital allocation
In April 2021, the government announced this new funding stream to support local authorities to deliver new places and improve existing provision for children and young people with SEND, particularly those with more complex needs, and for those pupils that require alternative provision.
The allocation for Blackpool is £500k, will be allocated to the following schemes:
- Creation of an additional classroom at Highfurlong School, to accommodate an increase in numbers (£190k)
- Capital works at the Oracle building to enable the accommodation of Park Community Academy’s post‑16 students during a temporary increase in pupil numbers (£100k)
- Contribution to the overall costs of capital works to create SEND Resource Provision at Thames, Boundary, Revoe and Marton primary schools (balance of £210k)
Contact