Proposal for new SEND school to be considered

Proposals for a new children's Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) school in Devon have been submitted.

Cabinet members for Plymouth City Council have been asked to consider the proposals at a meeting in March 2026.

Tudor Evans, leader of the Labour-run unitary council, said the current specialist provision in the city "could be better and must be better".

There was currently seven special schools and 10 specialist support centres attached to mainstream schools covering a range of needs, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

In 2023, SEND provision in Plymouth was highlighted as having serious weaknesses, but the latest monitoring showed there was clear progress across the Local Area Partnership's work to improve support for children.

Ofted inspectors found Plymouth City Council, NHS Devon, Livewell Southwest, local schools and the University of Plymouth were working closely together to make services "more connected and effective" and its united front was improving children's day-to-day experiences.

Inspectors recognised "marked cultural shift" with stronger leadership, clearer governance, exclusions had reduced and families received more support and help whilst waiting for assessments.

The report also found there were still challenges, including "long waits for specialist services".

Evans said there was still a lot of work to do but "a lot of progress" had been made.

He said: "A number of people are telling us we are on the right road.

"I want to continue this journey of progress. I want us to have a new SEND school in Plymouth."

Evans said the theme in the white paper- due to be unveiled by the government in February - would focus on integrating more children into mainstream schools.

In Plymouth, Evans said the local authority wanted to "see more and more parents wanting more specialist provision".

He said: "At the next cabinet meeting, we will have proposals for new SEND school in city and a location to do that... we have some financial provision to do that.

"What we have available could be better and must be better... and bigger."

Councillor Sally Cresswell, cabinet member for education, said no child was going to have their levels of assistance removed because of the white paper or asked to leave the school they were in.

"It's about getting everything absolutely right for children," she said.

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