'More SEND provision is needed in our part of Northumberland' call made at council meeting

Coun Angie Scott, who represents Prudhoe North, was speaking after the local authority published its first-ever SEND forward plan, which looked at the level of need across the county.

She explained the distances some people were having to travel from Prudhoe, in the south west of Northumberland.

She said: “I don’t think the council have fully taken into consideration the distance children have to travel. Young people from Prudhoe have to travel up to Morpeth, Blyth and Cramlington. I just don’t think it’s right.

“My son has autism, and from year four he travelled to Collingwood School in Morpeth – a distance of 35 miles. He now travels to Cramlington.

“He doesn’t have local friends or groups that he attends. He doesn’t have a voice in our community.

“Other parents in Prudhoe have to go to Blyth. Parents are expected to put their kids in a taxi. It’s too far for anyone.”

However, the report identified that south west Northumberland’s need was being met by existing provision – something that Coun Scott disagrees with.

She continued: “The council said there’s no need for children in the west because they’re saying that mainstream schools are managing and I don’t think that’s true. I think schools are struggling.

“The council spent a lot of time working on the inequalities summit, but it is proven that when your children travels out of the area it fuels social inequality.”

SEND children in the south west of the county is served by Hexham Priory School, which was rated as outstanding in 2018.

However, Coun Derek Kennedy is someone who knows the school well – his wife is a governor and his son has attended for years – and he says the school is full.

Coun Kennedy, who represents Hexham West on the county council, agreed with Coun Scott’s assessment that more SEND provision was needed in the west of the county.

He said: “Looking at the requirements in the west, my view as a father of a SEND child and being a service user of SEND since he was very young, the idea we don’t need any more provision is a load of rubbish.

“The service provided by the Priory in Hexham is outstanding, but it has been full. The demands are huge and it has always been full. We have people coming in from Tynedale as well as County Durham, Newcastle and North Tyneside. They come from far and wide into Hexham Priory School.

“I’ve been campaigning alongside (Hexham East councillor) Suzanne Fairless Aitken for an expansion at the school to provide more capacity and provide a bigger service. It’s certainly necessary – everyone can see the demand on special educational needs have increased very significantly year on year and it’s an exponential growth.”

The council’s SEND forward plan – which Coun Kennedy praised as “absolutely essential” – showed that the number of children requiring SEN education had doubled in the past nine years, with a further increase of 700 children over the next few years.

Coun Guy Renner-Thompson, Northumberland County Council’s cabinet member for children’s services, said the council would act to increase provision in the west if there was evidence it was necessary.

He said: “The main analysis shows that there isn’t a huge need in the west – the main need is in the Blyth area, which isn’t surprising as that’s where most of the people in the county live.

“I know councillors have been saying they want more provision in the west and that’s why we have done this SEND place planning. If the evidence shows that we need more places in the west, we will do it.

“We will never be able to build enough special school places for all the SEND children. The projected increase is very large.

“Our main aim is to bring in as many mainstream schools as possible and support our existing schools, but where there is an evident need.”

Coun Renner-Thompson also agreed that no child should have to travel huge distances for school.

He added: “We want to stop that. That’s why we’re going to have more places at Alnwick and Berwick.”