Investment to increase Special Educational Needs capacity at Hereford school

[Hereford Voice]

An investment of up to £2.4m is set to be made by Herefordshire Council to boost capacity for children with Special Educational Needs at a school in Hereford.

The cash injection will be made at Hampton Dene Primary School’s Language and Communication Centre to provide an additional two classrooms, toilets, support space and outdoor area to face up to soaring demand for spaces.

The centre which was built to provide education for 32 children is currently running over capacity and the new investment will mean a further 16 spaces are available to improve educational outcomes for children with special educational needs.

The new expansion will also include a community and meeting room to help integrate the children into the centre with the school set to add a financial contribution towards the cost of this facility.

Cabinet member for Children and Young People Cllr Ivan Powell said: “This incredibly important expansion is a key element of our ongoing work to make sure there is high quality and sustainable specialist educational accommodation for children and young people in Herefordshire.”

Cabinet member for Community Services and Assets Cllr Harry Bramer said: “This is an area of considerable growth. This excellent centre was originally established to cater for up to 32 children. It has been at full capacity since 2018 and is now offering specialist support for more children than ever as the need continues to rise. This investment means the centre can rise to the challenge of these increasing numbers and offer excellent educational opportunities for more children.”

The investment will come from High Needs Provision Capital Grant and forms part of the Council’s Capital Investment Strategy.

The increased provision at Hampton Dene follows investment earlier this year to provide four new autism hubs at Leominster Primary School, St Weonards Primary School, Earl Mortimer College, and Aylestone High School.