Plans for 42 new SEND places at Hampshire schools open for public feedback

Parents and residents are being invited to have their say on plans to create 42 new places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) across Hampshire.

Hampshire County Council has approved public consultations on proposals to open four specialist support bases within mainstream schools in Fareham, Gosport, Totton and Holbury.

If approved, the new provision would open in phases from the 2027/28 school year.

Under the plans, 12 places for children with autism would be created at Cadland Primary School in Holbury, alongside nine autism places at Rowner Infant School in Gosport.

A further nine places for children with social, emotional and mental health needs would be created at Lydlynch Infant School in Totton, while Locks Heath Junior School near Fareham would gain 12 autism places.

The council says the extra places are needed as the number of children requiring specialist support continues to rise.

According to the authority, Hampshire had 22,251 education, health and care plans in August 2026 and that figure is forecast to reach around 28,000 by 2030/31 if current trends continue.

The decision to move ahead with formal consultations was taken by the executive member for education, Cllr Juliet Henderson, on October 20.

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Henderson said: “This is an absolutely positive step forward.

“We are struck by how these inclusion spaces benefit both the children attending them and the wider school community.

The fact children are being educated alongside their peers, closer to home, and using existing buildings is really positive.”

The council says creating more specialist places in mainstream schools will help children stay closer to home and reduce the need to send pupils to independent specialist schools outside their local area.

It estimates the 42 new places would cost around £946,000 a year to run.

By comparison, it says providing the same number of places in independent and non-maintained special schools would cost around £3.6 million.

A four-week consultation period will take place from November 6 to December 4.

Full details of each proposal will be available on Hampshire County Council’s public notices website https://www.hants.gov.uk/community/publicnotices.