NEW projects to address increasing demand for SEND education and early years places in Rugby are to go ahead after new funding was announced.
Warwickshire County Council’s (WCC) Cabinet has approved a £680,000 investment in the Education Capital Programme to support five projects across Rugby and in the north of the county.
St Gabriel’s CofE Academy will receive £93,000 to establish a new Resourced Provision for up to eight pupils with communication and interaction needs, providing them with specialist teaching staff and a tailored environment designed to meet individual needs.
A total of £591,000 will be allocated to create additional early years and nursery places at Rugby’s Griffin Primary School and Wellingtons Day Nursery – along with nurseries in Atherstone and Polesworth – to meet the growing need for childcare, particularly for younger children and working parents.
WCC’s education spokesperson Coun Wayne Briggs said: “This investment is a direct response to the growth in population we are seeing in our communities and what our communities have been telling us.
“The increased availability of early years places is a response to what we have been asked for by parents and carers and will allow more people to return to the workplace while their child receives high quality education.
“The other scheme to benefit – the new resourced provision at St Gabriel’s Academy – shows a proactive approach to allowing children with SEND to thrive in the mainstream school in their own communities with the support they need.
“It is a far more cost-effective approach and will be far more beneficial to the children than transporting them to be educated away from their local care, health and community networks.”
The investment is funded mainly through developer contributions, the High Needs Provision Capital Allocation, and the DfE Early Years Capital Expansion Grant.
The council’s finance and property spokesperson Coun Stephen Shaw said: “By using developer contributions and targeted grants, we are able to deliver these essential projects efficiently and sustainably. This is a responsible and strategic use of funds that will benefit families and communities for years to come.”
Visit https://tinyurl.com/4yeu9mrn for more information on Specialist Resourced Provisions.
