Councillor Wayne Briggs, Portfolio Holder for Education, has approved a consultation on the establishment of a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) resourced provision at Holy Trinity CofE Primary School in Stratford-upon-Avon. The consultation, set to run from 13 October to 16 November 2025, is a statutory requirement for altering SEN provision at mainstream schools. The resourced provision aims to support up to eight primary-aged pupils with social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs.

SEND Resourced Provision Consultation

Councillor Wayne Briggs approved the commencement of a consultation regarding the establishment of a SEND resourced provision at Holy Trinity CofE Primary School.

The council is responsible, under Section 14 of the Education Act 1996, for ensuring sufficient school places are available to meet local demand, including specialist provision for pupils with special educational needs¹. The council aims to distribute resourced provisions across local area school consortiums, offering more opportunities for children to access education within their communities.

Resourced Provisions are described in the Public Reports Pack as:

purpose-built areas within existing schools which allow children with additional needs to attend mainstream settings, whilst accessing specialist provision for their needs. These provisions ensure pupils are supported appropriately, as well as reducing waiting times for appropriate placement and pupil travel times.

The proposed resourced provision at Holy Trinity CofE Primary School would cater for up to eight primary-aged pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) whose primary needs are social, emotional and mental health (SEMH).

The consultation is a statutory requirement, as outlined in the Department for Education's guidance, 'Making Prescribed Alterations to Maintained Schools', for any proposals to establish, remove or alter SEN provision at a mainstream school.

The council believes that the proposed resourced provision will meet the needs of pupils with an EHCP who can access the curriculum and benefit from a mainstream school environment. Admissions to the resourced provision will be managed through the council's panel process for specialist admissions, separate from the mainstream school's admission process.

The consultation, if approved, will take place between 13 October and 16 November 2025. Parents will be consulted through the school's communication channels, and information will also be available on the council's Ask Warwickshire consultation platform.

Financial and Environmental Implications

The costs associated with the consultation will be covered by existing revenue budgets. If the project proceeds after the consultation, capital costs will be incurred to create additional teaching space. These costs are intended to be funded from existing education capital funding, subject to a future Cabinet paper.

Funding for each child will be assessed by the SENDAR team² using a banding system, with a service level agreement between the council and the school. The establishment of resourced provision aligns with the council's strategy to manage the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) overspend by reducing the need for expensive independent specialist placements. It also aims to provide more local education provision, reducing transport costs and emissions.

An Equality Impact Assessment will be included in a report to the Cabinet in December 2025, alongside feedback from the consultation.