The future for SEND education?
Local authorities now have an obligation to look after young people up to the age of 25 under the Children and Families Act.
This change, which took place in 2014, has the potential to impact pupil numbers and the shape and feel of the student cohort over the long-term.
It also significantly increases the scope and scale of provision that local authorities now need to provide and will require the introduction of new services and facilities for skills training and development.
The inclusion of young adults into the SEND mix could prompt schools to begin to forge deeper links with industry and explore opportunities for enterprise and skills training on site.
This in turn, will have substantial implications for the requirements for SEND schools, with possible need for additional facilities and spaces that echo and reflect a real-world working environment.
In the fast-changing SEND sector, offsite construction is a delivery option which holds significant potential for the construction and delivery of new and expanding SEND schools.
As offsite construction advances and becomes increasingly sophisticated, significant cost and time savings can be delivered via this method.
With a growing cohort and ever tighter budgets, this may be an approach which schools increasingly favour as it offers a relatively flexible, affordable alternative to a traditional build approach, so long as they are multifunctional and easily adaptable.
Offsite offers particular benefits for mainstream schools looking to include an SEND element, however – many mainstream schools are challenged by tight site locations or other complications which mean they are not able to house a offsite addition.
Although offsite developments do increasingly have the opportunity to be highly-specified, the stakeholders we spoke to referenced concerns around the lack of flexibility and the limitations an offsite method could place on the creation of a truly bespoke solution.
Concerns over offsite’s ability to truly meet the needs of the cohort remain – particularly as these change over the next few decades.
However, as this model develops we expect that it may provide a viable solution and address some of the challenges that the sector faces.
The changing requirement of the SEND cohort is an essential part of the conversation around provision.
As such, enabling inter-disciplinary conversations which explore the cross-over between meeting health needs and educational needs is key.
Examining how buildings can be designed and delivered to accommodate the multi-faceted needs of this cohort and that of other young people is vital to future-proof the sector and ensure plans for appropriate provision are in place.
Potential solutions to this challenge, include the provision of multi-functional buildings within the school estate that could be used for varying purposes and would provide enhanced flexibility for school users.
Children with profound needs naturally have increased requirement for equipment, and as school and health provision become increasingly aligned, school buildings need to reflect this and feature the space and facilities to enable optimum usability.
The range of equipment for young people with complex physical needs, such as wheelchairs and standing frames, is increasing, with more space required to house it.
This will increase the size allocation needed and will need to be built into future plans and budgets.
Positively, advancing technologies in the built environment should help to make this planning and allocation process more straightforward and flexible for end users and SEND school commissioners.
Building Information Modelling (BIM) and other design and planning technologies, such as mixed-reality tech, are increasingly making the planning and design phase more flexible and user-friendly – drawing all project stakeholders into the conversation in a meaningful way and providing a richer experience, which enhances each party’s decision making capability.
Building Information Modelling (BIM) and mixed-reality technologies are incredibly valuable tools for bringing schemes to life and facilitating decision making with stakeholders through 3D models and virtual reality, rather than traditional 2D line drawings.
End users are able to see and ‘experience’ each space, which significantly strengthens their ability to feed into and shape the process.
These features help to communicate the reality of the space and share this vision with young people, teachers, and school users.
This is an invaluable tool in helping to prepare cohorts and staff for the change - which is key for all users, but especially important for children and young people.
