School places boost for children with special education needs and disabilities in B&NES

Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Bath will soon benefit from new local school places, thanks to council investment.

Work on new specialist facilities for SEND at Mulberry Park Primary School is due to start on 11 May and is being carried out by contractor, 21CBS.

The purpose-built facility at the school in Combe Down, will support up to 10 pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), focusing on children whose primary need is social, emotional and mental health (SEMH). Children can be taught in mainstream classes at school close to home, while receiving the specialist support they need.

The new single‑storey building will include a classroom, small group and breakout spaces, welfare facilities and a secure outdoor area designed specifically for SEND pupils.

Councillor Paul May, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “This is an important milestone for a project that will make a real difference to children and families across Bath & North East Somerset. This will support more children with additional needs to learn in their local community, close to family and friends and alongside their peers, in a familiar environment while receiving tailored support.

“Ensuring children can attend a local school rather than travelling outside the Bath & North East Somerset area is not only better for the children and their families, but it also avoids expensive out-of- area placements and transport costs for the council.”

The project forms part of Bath & North East Somerset Council’s wider plan to increase local specialist school places and improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

It also supports the council’s wider climate and sustainability ambitions by reducing travel associated with out-of-area specialist provision.

Construction will be managed to minimise disruption to the school and nearby residents and should be completed by December 2026.

Once complete, the new SEND resource base will expand local specialist education capacity and help more children and young people to thrive within their own communities.

In March, the council announced plans for 120-place special free school based at its Culverhay site in Bath following a successful application to the Department for Education. Free schools are state-funded, non-profit, independent schools that are free to attend but not controlled by a local authority.

The Department for Education has asked each local area to develop a Local SEND Reform Plan to show how it will continue to strengthen its system of SEND support. We are currently working with young people, families and partners to develop our Local SEND Reform Plan, building on our existing work to help more children with additional needs receive tailored, expert support and learn in their local community.

The council’s Plan for SEND in B&NES can be read online and information about the support and services available can be found on the Live Well website.