This meeting will consider a report on the proposal to create a new special educational needs (SEN) unit at Thames Ditton Infant School. It will consider whether to determine the statutory notice on the proposal.

Proposal to Create a SEN Unit at Thames Ditton Infant School

The report pack includes a proposal to create a new 21-place SEN unit at Thames Ditton Infant School. The unit would cater for pupils with autism and/or communication and interaction needs and co-occurring needs, aged 4-7, from Reception to Year 2, all of whom would have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

Surrey County Council says that it has a statutory duty under Section 14 of the Education Act 1996 and Section 27 of the Children and Families Act 2014 to make sure that it has enough schools for primary and secondary education, and to keep special educational needs provision under review. The council's report says that existing provision in Surrey is at 97% occupancy, and that it expects demand to grow. The report says:

Surrey’s latest sufficiency modelling projections to 2030-2031, which are based on the previous three year’s trends from academic years 2018-2019 to 2020-2021, indicate significant growth in the total number of pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) resident in Surrey over the forecast period. This projected growth is expected to reach its peak in 2026-27 and 2027-28, before reducing slightly thereafter. (Surrey County Council, Cabinet Member Decision Report 28.01.2025 TDIS FINAL)

The report claims that there is a particular need for more specialist places for children with autism and communication and interaction needs in [Elmbridge], where the school is situated:

Table 1 shows the latest projections for infant pupils with EHCPs in Surrey who have autism and/or have communication and interaction needs identified as their primary need in Elmbridge. The projections show a gradual decrease in this cohort year on year to 2032/33 however the demand still outweighs the level of provision within local schools. (Surrey County Council, Cabinet Member Decision Report 28.01.2025 TDIS FINAL)

The report goes on to say that the new unit at Thames Ditton Infant School would be more cost-effective than continuing to educate children in independent schools, saving around £30,000 per pupil per year.

The new unit would be located in classrooms left vacant when the school's Published Admissions Number (PAN) was reduced from 90 to 60 in September 2025. It would be staffed by a lead teacher/SEN Manager, and supported by Higher Level Teaching Assistants (HLTAs) and Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) and would be supported in its first year by an experienced Surrey maintained special school.

The statutory notices for the creation of the SEN unit at Thames Ditton Infant School were published on 4 November 2024. The report pack includes an Equality Impact Assessment that Surrey County Council says did not identify any negative equality impacts.

The report pack contains an analysis of the informal consultation that preceded the publication of the statutory notices. The analysis says that 100% of respondents to the consultation agreed with the proposal to establish the SEN unit at the school. The report says that the most prevalent theme from the consultation was the need for more specialist school places in Surrey.

The report recommends that, subject to the Cabinet Member determining the statutory notice, the new SEN unit at Thames Ditton Infant School will be implemented from 1 September 2025.