Following months of campaigning, Terry Jermy, MP for South West Norfolk is thrilled to confirm that a new Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) school will open in Downham Market using £20 million in funding from the Labour Government.
Located at the former Downham Market Sixth Form site in Ryston End, the school will address long-identified gaps in provision in the west of the county and cater for up to 100 children.
The funding for the new school was confirmed by the Government in December, however confirmation of whether the funding would be used to fund a new specialist school or to create additional places in mainstream settings was waiting on a decision by Norfolk County Council.
Given the clear lack of special educational needs services in West Norfolk, and the long travel distances for families, Mr Jermy MP urged Norfolk County Council to use the Government funding to open a new specialist school.
To help demonstrate to Norfolk County Council how urgently specialist provision was needed in West Norfolk, Terry Jermy MP called on the community to join his campaign, which garnered the support of close to 800 residents and Downham Market Town Council.
Terry Jermy MP said: “As one of only two MPs in the country to have a SEND Specialist Caseworker form part of my team, I am acutely aware of how urgently specialist provision is needed.
“For too long, West Norfolk has suffered from a lack of SEND support, leaving children having to either travel huge distances to access an education, or stuck in an entirely unsuitable setting that doesn’t meet their specific needs, or not accessing an education at all. Today’s announcement will change that.
“Having lobbied the Secretary of State for Education and other Government Ministers on the urgent need for a new special educational needs school in Downham Market since the election, I was thrilled when the Government announced funding in December to make this reality a proposal.”
“This funding shows the Labour Government’s commitment to solving the SEND crisis and ensuring children and young people with SEND get the education and support they need. This new specialist school will help repair the broken system and be a modern and supportive setting for children and young people with SEND and their families.”
“I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to everyone who joined my campaign calling on Norfolk County Council to commit to opening this school and giving our children and young people with SEND, and their families the support they need. Today’s victory belongs to us all.”
In addition to the £20 million in Government funding Norfolk County Council will receive for the Ryston End school, they will receive a further estimated £20 million for a specialist school in the east of the county, located around Great Yarmouth.
The funding for these two new Norfolk schools forms part of a landmark £3 billion Labour Government investment to make sure more children can go to a brilliant school closer to home and enable children with additional needs to achieve and thrive.
In addition, last week the Government confirmed a 10-year plan to revitalise schools and colleges for every child, ensuring schools will be more inclusive by design, with dedicated inclusion bases and new guidance on adaptations to improve inclusivity and accessibility.
Today’s announcement follows the four SEND Roundtables Terry Jermy MP held in the Autumn for both families and schools, in addition to two SEND surveys.
Key observations from the survey and recommendations have been presented to the Government to ensure the impact of rurality on SEND is considered in the forthcoming Schools White Paper.
