Proposal to Establish a Special Educational Needs Unit at Thames Ditton Infant School

Overview

In agreement with the school’s Headteacher and Governing Body, Surrey County Council is proposing to establish a unit for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) at Thames Ditton Infant School. There will be 21 places for pupils with autism and/or communication and interaction needs from Reception to Year 2. All pupils will have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

Why your views matter

It is proposed that:

1. A new SEN unit will be established to provide a total number of 21 places for autistic pupils and pupils with communication and interaction needs aged 4 to 7 years.
2. Thames Ditton Infant School consulted to reduce from a PAN of 90 to 60 from September 2025. There will be no change to the mainstream published admission number (PAN) of 60 from September 2025.
3. In September 2024, the school will be opening a nurture class (The Nest) for children with a diagnosis of autism and with social communication needs. This consultation forms part of the statutory process to transfer this class to a formal SEN unit for pupils with autism and communication and interaction needs from September 2025. 
4. The 21 pupils within the new SEN unit will be admitted above the mainstream published admission number (PAN).

Further details on the admissions process for SEND specialist provision in Surrey can be found on the Surrey Local Offer website. The document ‘SEND admissions processes for referrals for specialist placement for school age children’ describes how this process works and is available on the Surrey County Council website.

The webpage Choosing a school place for a child with an EHCP describes how to apply for a specialist school place.

The Related Documents below contain the detailed proposal.

Please let us know what you think about the proposals

- either by completing the Online Survey

- or by using the response form in the Related Documents below.

The deadline for submitting your response to the Consultation is Friday 25th October 2024. 

All representations will be reviewed before a final decision is taken by the Cabinet Member for Children and Families, Lifelong Learning in November 2024.

Accessibility Statement

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What happens next

At the end of the consultation period, we will review all the responses received and share these with Thames Ditton Infant School and publish analysis of the responses on the Surrey Says website.

Subject to the outcome of the consultation we intend to publish a Statutory Notice at the school, in a local newspaper and on the Surrey Says website stating our intention to establish a special educational needs unit at Thames Ditton Infant School. There will be a four-week statutory consultation period for further representations to be received by the council.

All representations will be reviewed before a final decision is taken by the Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Lifelong Learning.