SPECIAL schools in Southampton will be expanded with 278 new spaces after it was revealed there is an ‘urgent need’ for more places.

The city’s six special schools reached capacity in 2020 and temporary measures that have been in place since will not cope with the predicted increased demand that is to come.

The temporary measures included 70 spaces across two Great Oaks School sites.

Now councillors have approved plans to add 102 permanent new spaces at Great Oaks Green Lane, 150 new spaces at Great Oaks Vermont, and 26 new spaces at St Monica’s Primary.

The next stage of development will cost the council £660,000 partly for consultation fees out of the £45m SEND programme.

A consultation on the developments at the three schools will be carried out in May.

Without extra spaces the council would have to spend £23m a year on out-of-city placements opposed to a £6m spend on in-city placements.

The number of children with an education, health and care plan (EHCP), many of whom need to attend a special school, has been rising by 12 per cent a year over the course of the last decade.

By 2030 the number of children with an EHCP is projected to double.

A report drawn up by Southampton City Council lists multiple reasons for the increasing demand.

This includes increasing the age of statutory protection from 5-16 to 0-25 and also the increased ‘survival rate’ of babies who are born with disabilities, resulting in the need for special educational needs in later years.

It also says there is a higher prevalence of some conditions, such as autism, as well as a larger number of diagnoses. Council papers also pointed out that this ‘is being seen nationally and is affecting all local authorities’.

Other options - including borrowing more cash to create more than 330 spaces - were considered but not accepted.

The council’s cabinet met on Tuesday, March 14 to approve the expansion.

Cabinet member for children and learning, Councillor Darren Paffey said: “The proposed new facilities at our special schools in the city will help to meet their needs and transform children’s learning.

“By offering more school places and recruiting more specialist teaching staff we can improve children’s learning outcomes for the better.”

A council-commissioned report published in 2017 said "action is required now" to meet the demand.