Purpose

The Local Authority has a duty is to ensure
that there are sufficient high quality places to meet evolving
pupil needs. There has been a significant increase in demand for
special school places
in recent years and a subsequent increase in cases put forward for
Tribunal where Special Schools cannot meet need due to lack of
capacity.
The creation of additional places across the school estate either
through Additional Resource Hubs, increased special school capacity
or the complex needs provision, will increase the
number of specialist places available and enable more children and
young people to be educated in their local area. This proposal is
also in line with the Government’s aim of increasing
inclusion within mainstream settings and reducing the demand upon
the specialist sector.
We are currently reviewing and updating our Sufficiency Strategy to
ensure that this will continue to meet our capacity needs into the
future and includes the proposals above. Our current estimation is
that the following places will be required to meet demand over the
next 3 years and to reshape the system, increasing the focus on
early intervention. Further analysis is currently being undertaken
and more detailed proposals will be outlined within the
Sufficiency
Strategy.

Content

Creation of Additional Specialist Provision
and Capacity within Doncaster Schools – proposal for the
spend of approximately £7.4 Mil as per delegated authority
agreed in cabinet paper 19 June 2024. And 16th November 2022

(Full details in ODR Form)

Alternative options considered

Whilst there was some consideration of the
best combination of places, options other than an expansion of the
current places available were not considered