Eight places each are proposed at St John's Infants and St Benedict's Junior School in Glastonbury, alongside eight at Whitstone School in Shepton. A further £2.616 million is earmarked for up to 24 additional specialist places through the Mendip School.

The proposals form part of Somerset Council's wider effort to support children nearer their homes and reduce reliance on independent placements outside the county. Hindhayes Infant School in Street already has an operational SEND unit, while Fairlands Middle School in Cheddar is among the schools proposed for eight additional places.

SEND units provide dedicated support within mainstream schools, allowing pupils to receive more specialist help while remaining part of a mainstream setting. They are distinct from places at specialist schools such as the Mendip School, which supports children and young people aged four to 19 with speech, language or autism needs.

The Mendip School funding would provide an additional classroom and support investigation of a possible satellite facility in Frome. The proposed mainstream projects will each require detailed feasibility studies and consultation to establish what is suitable for the school and surrounding area.

The council approved its original three-year expansion programme in October 2025. The revised programme increases the target for mainstream SEND places to 344 by late 2029.

Of the latest £9.331 million allocation, £3.84 million is earmarked for new or expanded SEND units at 11 mainstream schools, including the three in Glastonbury and Shepton. Other proposals include 24 places at Maiden Beech Academy in Crewkerne and eight each at schools in Chard, Taunton, Wellington, Ilminster, West Monkton and Woolavington.

Another £1.68 million will fund 42 inclusion support bases. These are mainstream facilities offering extra help to pupils who are struggling but do not require a SEND unit or an education, health and care plan.

A further £400,000 is allocated to alternative provision in Frome and the former West Somerset area, with £340,000 for accessibility improvements such as ramps, lifts and hygiene rooms.

Introducing the report at the council's executive meeting on Wednesday, 7 October, SEND portfolio holder Cllr Evie Potts-Jones said: "At the heart of this is something very simple: making sure that children and young people with SEND can access the right provision, in the right place, at the right time.

"It's not simply about increasing the number of places. It's about developing a more inclusive and sustainable education system, with more children and young people able to access appropriate provision closer to their homes, families, and communities.

"But buildings and places alone will not deliver the change we want to see. This investment needs to work alongside our wider focus on inclusion, early intervention, sufficiency and, most importantly, better outcomes for children and young people.

"These places must be well designed, appropriately staffed and focused on outcomes, well-being, belonging, attendance and participation."

The investment comes amid continuing pressure on Somerset's SEND services, including delays in assessments for care plans. The council believes expanding local provision will improve children's quality of life while reducing transport costs.

Head of education places Phil Curd told councillors that comparisons between September this year and last year were already showing a change.

He said: "We've looked at the end of September this year and the end of September last year.

"Despite having more children with EHCPs and more children in specialist provision, we have less children on SEND transport and the number of routes has come down by about eight per cent.

"This work is starting to have an impact in that children, regardless of their needs, are being able to be taught more frequently in their local community."

By Daniel Mumby, Local Democracy Reporter. Localised by Laura Linham.

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