Bradford Council bosses are set to create additional specialist nursery school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
Plans to create ten specialist places at Hirst Wood Nursery School and Children’s Centre in Shipley are expected to be given the go-ahead by the council’s executive committee when it meets on Tuesday 6 September.
Demand for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision has significantly increased across the Bradford District over the last 10 years and is forecast to continue to rise. The plan for Hirst Wood Nursery school is part of the council’s strategic plan to create more places to meet current and future demand.
The proposal is fully supported by the headteacher and governing body at Hirst Wood and received overwhelming support through consultation with the local community, parents and other interested parties.
With no building or refurbishment works required to establish the proposed specialist provision at Hirst Wood, the new places could be started to be filled as soon as this October.
Cllr Imran Khan, Bradford Council’s executive member for education, employment and skills, said, “We are committed to improving the standard, quality and range of educational provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
“The new provision at Hirst Wood will be a great asset to the community and vital support to local families. It will strengthen the network of specialist provision across the district and support our ambitions to improve outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
“We know that there is a growing need for more specialist places and we are working closely with providers to achieve this.”
