A £120m special school places plan has been approved unanimously by Norfolk County Councillors.

Today’s Policy and Resources committee backed plans to create more than 500 extra school places, in four new special schools plus specialist bases at mainstream schools.

Chairman of the Children’s Services committee, Councillor Stuart Dark, said:  “Our special schools are among the best in the country but they are at capacity and we want to create more spaces in Norfolk for our children, so that they can be taught near to their homes and don’t have to travel long distances to school.

“This is the right thing for children and the right thing for Norfolk – investing in education so that we reduce high cost placements and travel costs in the years ahead.”

The Council also wants to develop more outreach support for children who can be supported in mainstream schools.  This will help more children to be taught near to their homes, improve the quality of education for many children and address growing demand for places.

The policy and resources committee approved an initial investment of £4.8m in the current financial year, to allow the first phase of work to begin as quickly as possible.

A new special school, specialising in social, emotional and mental health, is likely to be the first project to get underway.  The school would be developed on the former Alderman Swindell School site, in Great Yarmouth.

 

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