The Children's and Culture Scrutiny Committee of Lincolnshire Council met on Friday, 24 April 2026, to discuss proposals for developing mainstream Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) hubs across five schools, consider the future of the Edge of Care Service, and review plans for rebuilding a classroom block at Ancaster Church of England Primary School and extending drama studios at Spalding Academy Secondary School. The committee also reviewed its work programme.

Proposal to Develop Mainstream Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Hubs

The committee was scheduled to consider proposals for the development of mainstream SEND hubs at five schools: Butterwick Pinchbeck's Endowed Church of England Primary School, Church Lane Primary School & Nursery in Sleaford, Hawthorn Tree School in Boston, Sir Francis Hill Community Primary School in Lincoln, and The Edward Richardson Primary School in Tetford. These proposals were to be considered prior to decisions being made by the Executive Councillor for Children's Services between 27 April and 1 May 2026. The committee's views were to be reported to the Executive Councillor.

The report outlining these proposals detailed the rationale for establishing SEND hubs, which is to provide children and young people with SEND who do not require a special school place with access to education in a mainstream school that is specifically designed and resourced to meet their needs. This approach aims to keep children within their local communities where possible, avoid escalation to specialist settings, and make best use of existing capital assets. Each hub would have capacity for up to 10 places commissioned by the Local Authority, with an additional 3 places per hub available for the host school. Funding for staffing, resources, and capital works was outlined, with the Council committed to funding all capital costs. The report also detailed the statutory processes followed, including a four-week representation period for consultation.

Edge of Care Service

Consideration was also given to the Edge of Care Service, which is currently contracted with Safe Families for Children UK and is due to expire on 30 June 2026. The service provides volunteer support to families where children are at risk of entering care. The report presented to the committee outlined the findings of a review, informed by public and stakeholder consultation, and recommended that the Council would no longer commission an Edge of Care Service when the current contract ends.

The reasons for this recommendation included national reforms and a strengthened local Family Help offer, which now provides more targeted, multi-disciplinary support. It was noted that only a small percentage of families supported by the service had children genuinely at risk of entering care, and that unsupported referrals had risen due to the complexity of needs being too high for the volunteer-led model. The report highlighted that the service's offer, such as parenting support and crisis stabilisation, was duplicated by existing services like children's centres and Family Hubs. Benchmarking indicated that most comparable authorities do not commission a separate volunteer-led edge of care service, instead providing support through integrated Family Help and Social Care teams. Mitigations were outlined for if the service ends, including continued access to Family Help, financial assistance under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989, strengthened community-based support, the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme, Targeted Positive Activities, and short break accommodation.

Ancaster Church of England Primary School – Two Classroom Block Rebuild

The committee was scheduled to consider proposals for a two-classroom block rebuild at Ancaster Church of England Primary School. The original modular building, installed in 2015, had deteriorated due to persistent water ingress, mould, and building fabric damage, leading to its closure in May 2024. Temporary classroom and toilet accommodation had been provided, incurring ongoing hire costs. Approval was sought for a permanent rebuild using traditional construction methods, which was deemed to offer greater longevity, compliance with modern standards, and better value for money over its lifecycle compared to modular construction or remedial works to the existing building. The new block would also incorporate solar panels to reduce energy running costs. The scheme was to be funded through the Department for Education's School Condition Allocation.

Spalding Academy Secondary School – Basic Need Capacity Extension (Drama Studios)

Proposals for a basic need capacity extension, specifically for drama studios, at Spalding Academy Secondary School were also on the agenda. This project is intended to support an increase in the school's net capacity by 110 places, with an increase in the Published Admission Number (PAN) from 300 to 322. The proposed building would provide two drama studios and associated areas, ensuring the school has sufficient specialist accommodation to deliver the national curriculum. The report indicated that the existing temporary drama provision did not meet Department for Education standards. The scheme was to be funded through a combination of Department for Education Basic Need capital funding and Section 106 developer contributions.

Children's and Culture Scrutiny Committee Work Programme

Finally, the committee was scheduled to review and comment on its work programme to ensure its scrutiny activity is focused where it can be of greatest benefit. The report provided a list of current and planned items for future meetings, including pre-decision scrutiny for the SEND hubs, Edge of Care Service, Ancaster Primary School rebuild, and Spalding Academy extension. Future items included reports on the Donington Thomas Cowley single class extension, the Children and Young People's Online Counselling Support Service, the Early Years Offer, the Best Start in Life Strategy, attendance reports, young carers scrutiny review, library service performance, the Holiday Activities and Food Programme, the Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Partnership Annual Report, childcare sufficiency, and education provision planning. The committee was invited to highlight any additional scrutiny activity for inclusion in the work programme.