PARENTS on Exmoor are being asked for their views on plans to build a new unit to allow local delivery of special educational needs and disabilities (SEN) teaching.

Somerset Council is consulting on a proposal to create the unit in Dulverton Junior School as part of a £16.8 million programme being rolled out across the county.

Between six and eight SEN places will be available to help pupils experience a more mainstream education, with the first youngsters enrolling between November and next January.

The council is looking at creating SEN units in 14 other schools, including Knights Templar School, in Watchet.

It will refurbish and equip existing rooms within school sites which are not required for the delivery of mainstream provision.

Dulverton Junior, in Fishers Mead, currently has about 60 pupils and is part of the Moorland Federation education trust.

A federation spokesperson said: “Somerset Council and the governors of Dulverton Junior School believe this proposal will help the school better respond to the needs of children and young people who live in the locality.”

The SEN unit will be a separate classroom and facilities within the school setting for children to be educated within a small specialist environment designed to meet their needs.

The spokesperson said: “It is much more likely that their educational potential will be realised.

“Dulverton Junior School will be one of the first schools to benefit from the new provision.

“The SEN unit will cater for children who have education, health, and care plans that set out their social, emotional, and mental health needs.

“There is currently a shortfall of specialist education places in the county.

“Most of the existing special schools, autism bases, and SEN units are already full to capacity.

“As a result of this, Somerset Council is currently having to purchase high-cost placements from schools in the independent and non-maintained sector.

“These schools often require children to travel long distances from home.”

A specialist teacher will be employed by the school to run the unit with any necessary support staff.

The council, which is receiving an £8.4 million Government grant in the current financial year, will provide the Dulverton school with funds to refurbish and equip space for the SEN unit and will also pay ‘high needs revenue funding’ for each of the pupils who attend to cover ongoing operating costs.

The spokesperson said places in the Dulverton unit would be allocated by the council’s statutory SEN service in consultation with school staff.

They said: “Children placed at the SEN unit will be local children from West Somerset.”

School transport will be provided for children attending the new SEN unit if they qualify under the council’s current policy.

The council expects that by enabling more SEN children to attend their local school the new units should save between £13.7 million and £17.1 million a year which would otherwise have been spent on transport costs and other measures.

Full details of the consultation, which is is open until 5 pm on July 14, can be found online.