Sandwell Council's Cabinet has approved a new SEND Sufficiency Strategy to plan for growing demand for special educational needs and disabilities support across the borough.
The strategy sets out how the council and its partners will ensure there are enough school places and support services for children and young people with SEND over the coming years.
Forecasts show rapid growth in demand
There are currently 4,064 children and young people with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) in Sandwell. Forecasts indicate this number will rise to 7,750 by 2029 and more than 10,700 by 2031.
Sandwell currently has 1,013 special school places. Forecasts show 1,163 places will be needed by September 2027, with overall demand expected to require around 1,440 specialist placements by 2027, including independent special school provision.
Local support and mainstream school provision
The strategy focuses on making sure children and young people can access the right support as early as possible and, wherever appropriate, closer to home and within their local community.
Demand is growing for specialist support within mainstream schools. The council is working to identify mainstream schools that could potentially provide additional accommodation for targeted SEND provision, helping more children access support near where they live.
Council's wider vision
The strategy supports the council's SEND vision that every child and young person should receive the right support earlier, within strong and inclusive local communities. It reflects key principles including putting children and young people at the centre of decision-making, listening to families, improving inclusion, strengthening local provision and making best use of public resources.
Councillor Jack Sabharwal, Sandwell Council's Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said: "Every child deserves the opportunity to learn, achieve and thrive. We know demand for SEND support is increasing rapidly. Planning ahead is so important. This strategy will help us make sure we have the right number of places, the right services and the right support available for children and families."
He added: "Our aim is to provide support earlier, closer to home and within inclusive local communities wherever possible. We want children and young people to be able to attend schools in their communities, build friendships locally and access the support they need to succeed. The strategy is also about listening to families and working closely with our education, health and care partners."