The council are set to discuss plans for new SEND classrooms at a local school - which will form part of improvements to provisions in the area.

Arbour Vale School is a special education school in Slough currently rated 'good' by Ofsted.

It caters to roughly 340 students aged between three and 19, with varying needs and disabilities.

Under fresh plans, new SEND special school provisions will see an additional 38 places made for 11-year-old Slough pupils from September 2024. 

This will be done through the SEND capital grant, which will help expand the school and allow for more cost-effective and appropriate provision to be made for pupils who have Educational Health and Care Plans requiring special school education.

Arbour Vale School currently has no spare capacity to accommodate these pupils although the school is named as the parents’ preference.

If given the go-ahead, a four-classroom block will be built on site, set to open on September 1 ahead of the new school year.

As a result of planned expansion and the need for more staffing, more parking will then be required.

This was previously considered by Slough Borough Council in 2017, but has not progressed.

The report of the plans, to go before the council on June 3, states: "The delivery aspects of the new classroom project presents considerable challenge and risk both in financial and programme terms."

Slough Council's Cabinet is recommended to agree on the plans and a budget of up to £1.70million to be approved for the project to be funded via a Department for Education capital grant for expansion of SEND provision.

Further funding equating to approximately £2.4million will go toward the construction of a car park, which will be leased out. This again is earmarked to be funding by the Department for Education.

If the plans don't go ahead, the un-placed children may be sent to other schools outside the borough at costs of £0.99million per annum.

The planning report adds: "The Local Authority has a duty to ensure every resident pupil including those with SEND are offered a suitable school place to meet their needs.

"Place planning analysis shows there is a projected shortfall of SEND provision in Slough schools for the transfer of pupils in September 2024.

"Up to 38 pupils that require special school provision cannot be placed in a Slough school based on current capacity."

As a result, the council has decided additional capacity at Arbour Vale School represents the best option for placing all of these pupils within a Slough school.

The Department for Education commissioner supports the proposals.