More special needs provision planned for Wellington school

Court Fields School is located on Mantle Street at the western edge of the town, and is part of the Blackdown Education Partnership multi-academy trust (which also includes Orchard Grove Primary School in Taunton and Holyrood Academy in Chard).

Alongside its mainstream provision, the school currently provides bespoke education through its 'Cove' service, which takes "bespoke, flexible approaches for students experiencing anxiety-related barriers to learning".

A consultation is now under way on the potential for further special needs provision within the school, which would focus around children needing mental health support.

The proposals, which were published on Thursday (May 7), envision Block E within the school grounds (also known as 'The Bungalow') being re-purposed into "!a dedicated, nurturing provision" for up to eight pupils at Key Stage 3 and 4 with education, health and care plans (EHCPs).

Entrance to Court Fields School on Mantle Street in Wellington (Image: Google Maps)

The unit would blend specialist teaching with supported access to mainstream education, enabling pupils to remain within their local community while receiving highly personalised support.

The unit would focus on pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs (SEMH), specifically those with "internalising behaviours" (such as anxiety or depression) as well as children who are neurodivergent.

The provision would offer a "low-sensory, predictable environment" with a mixture of in-person teaching, online learning, and "supported reintegration" into mainstream lessons where appropriate.

Court Fields School headteacher Polly Matthews said the new unit would help the school to better meet local needs, in link with both Somerset Council's special education needs and disabilities (SEND) strategy and the government's SEND white paper (the latter of which was published in February).

She said: "This is an incredibly exciting development for Court Fields School and for our wider community.

"We are proud of the success of our Cove provision, and the opportunity to expand our specialist support through an additional SEND unit will enable us to meet the needs of more young people locally.

"This proposal reflects our commitment to inclusive education and ensures that students with complex needs can thrive in a supportive, familiar environment close to home."

In addition to increasing capacity in Wellington, the proposed development will allow for more targeted, early intervention for children and young people, and reduce the need for distant and expensive specialist placements (often outside of Somerset.

Parents, carers and local residents can take part in the consultation by visiting www.bep.ac or emailing consultation@bep.ac before June 1.

Once the consultation has concluded, all responses will be reviewed before a final decision to proceed is made by the multi-academy trust.

If the school decides to proceed, final approval will be sought from education secretary Bridget Phillipson MP.

It is not presently clear how soon the proposals could be implemented if this final approval is secured.