Every child in our district deserves the opportunity to thrive. Having the right support, in the right place, at the right time.

In Wakefield, demand for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) support continues to grow. With more families needing specialist services. And the complexity of need increasing.

This is not a challenge unique to Wakefield. Right across the country, councils, schools and families are feeling the pressure on a SEND system that is struggling to keep pace with growing demand.

That's why we have been investing in long-term solutions that put our children and families first.

placeholder image — Wragby School in Wakefield.

We’ve already invested more than £11 million to strengthen our local offer. We’ve created over 250 additional specialist school places and developed more than ten specialist SEND education settings across the district.

This investment is helping transform the support available for children and young people with SEND across Wakefield. Creating high-quality learning environments. Expanding specialist provision. And helping more families access support closer to home.

This includes new specialist places at Hammer Lane Academy and Wragby School.

Waterton Academy Trust has been an important partner in the development of Hammer Lane Academy and its continued expansion through the new Edu-pod, which will enable children to continue their education into Key Stage 2 within a familiar specialist environment. By reducing the need for transitions, this expansion will provide greater continuity and stability for children and families.

Coun Karl Johnson, Leader of Wakefield Council.

This September we’ve seen the opening of Wragby School, developed in partnership with Venn Education Group. The new specialist secondary school represents another significant addition to our local SEND offer. Helping us meet growing demand while enabling more families to access the support they need closer to home.

Our investment has also helped to improve our offer in mainstream schools. From specialist facilities and sensory spaces to additional classrooms and learning environments. These improvements are helping schools meet the needs of more pupils and provide the support they need to thrive.

We are ambitious for children and young people with SEND and want a system that works better for local families.

The progress made so far shows what can be achieved through long-term planning and investment. But we know there is more to do. Demand continues to grow and we must continue building a local SEND system that is responsive, sustainable and focused on delivering the best possible outcomes for children and young people.

We need to make sure we have a sustainable SEND system that continues to support families in the years ahead.

And our goal is for more children to get their education in their local community, wherever possible. Access to the right support and education, closer to home, remains our priority.

We will continue to work with families to shape a system that delivers the right support, in the right place, for every child and young person in Wakefield.