SEND school to get £1.7m for extra pupil places

A special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) school in Derby is set to receive £1.7m to boost the number of pupil places.

Derby City Council is expected to rubber-stamp the decision to allocate the funds to Shaw Education Trust, which runs Ivy House School in Littleover.

Council bosses said the sum for extra places would reduce the cost of expensive out-of-area placements for pupils who could not access SEND education in the city.

Cabinet members are expected to discuss the proposal on Wednesday.

According to the council, the school, which has 99 pupils - rising to 108 in 2026-2027, caters for children of all ages with severe learning difficulties (SLD) and profound multiple learning difficulties (PMLD).

The money will be used to move some pupils from the main building to a repurposed block on the wider site.

The council said this would "reduce pressure" on the school and increase overall numbers to 135 pupils with a yearly review.

The building in question is currently occupied by Derby Moor secondary school on a 12-year lease from the council, with three years remaining.

The council added an agreement had been reached so the "under-utilised" building would be transferred to Ivy House.

Corey Beck, a council officer from the learning inclusion and skills team, said: "There is a demand for high-quality SEND placements in Derby city and a need to ensure each placement is appropriate in as local an educational setting as possible, reducing the significant cost to the local authority for out-of-area placements

"The Ivy House scheme directly reflects a need for more local places that support children with SLD/PMLD needs through the creation of additional places."

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