SEND Hub Consultation

We are pleased to inform that our school has been offered the opportunity to develop, in partnership with Lincolnshire County Council, an enhanced provision for children and young people with SEND.

We are seeking to develop a Mainstream SEND Hub for Key Stage 3 and 4 in our setting, providing enhanced educational support for pupils with SEND who are best educated in a mainstream school.

This consultation is an opportunity for you as an interested party, to find out more about the proposal and provide a response.

These proposals have the potential to make a significant, positive change to future provision for pupils with special educational and disability needs across Lincolnshire. Please take time to let us know what you think.

What is a Mainstream SEND Hub?

Mainstream SEND Hubs (or mainstream SEND Units as identified by the DfE) are defined as:

“special provisions within a mainstream school where the children are taught within separate classes.”

In Lincolnshire, it is the Council’s ambition to develop and implement mainstream SEND Hubs, which would provide enhanced educational provision for children and young people with SEND, enabling them to be educated and have their needs met in a mainstream school, with enhanced facilities, by knowledgeable and skilled staff.

Wave 1 will develop mainstream SEND Hubs in 11 primary schools and 3 secondary schools across the county, though this is a long-term ambition for the Council, with plans to expand this offer further.

What will the Mainstream SEND Hub be like?

It will be an integral part of the mainstream school, physically and culturally, with inclusivity and belonging at its core.
It will belong to the school, be managed by the school and be staffed by the school – the LA’s responsibility is to provide funding, support and to quality assure the provision.
A place for pupils with SEND to be educated, with access to all the benefits of a mainstream environment but with enhanced provision – smaller class sizes, specifically trained staff and differentiated curriculum.
A maximum of 2 classrooms per SEND Hub, made up of 10 Local Authority commissioned places with 2-3 transitional places for the host school to use.
Specially designed to ensure it has the space and resources required to meet the needs of pupils placed in the Hub.

What will the Mainstream SEND Hub look like?

This will vary in each school as we look to make best use of all available space.
However, as a minimum all Hubs will offer:
A suitably sized classroom, within the school’s existing building.
Direct access to a breakout space/sensory space to allow time for pupils to regulate and manage their feelings.
Direct access to secure outside space to allow free-flow learning and opportunities for regulation outside of the classroom.
The Council are providing funding for the school to set up the space with suitable resources and decoration of the Hub space including sensory equipment.

When will the Mainstream SEND Hun be open and accepting pupils?

Our ambition is to have our Mainstream SEND Hub open by September 2025
We are expecting the Department for Education to make their decision, about whether we can have a SEND Hub, by the end of the spring term 2025.
If formal approval is granted, we will commence recruitment for the SEND Hub immediately.
We would hope to have staff in position during the summer term so they can access the specialised training offer and begin transition support for those pupils joining the provision.
Any building or capital works required will then be completed during the school holidays to ensure minimum impact on our pupils and school.

Who is the Mainstream Hub for and how is it accessed?

Access to the mainstream SEND Hub will be though the formal Education, Health and Care Plan process, in accordance with the SEND Code of Practice 2014.

As part of either the Needs Assessment or Annual Review process, children and young people will be assessed as needing either mainstream, mainstream with SEND Hub or specialist setting.

If identified as requiring a mainstream SEND Hub, consultation with the nearest Hub will take place.

We recognise that demand for places within the mainstream SEND Hub may be high and that capacity will be limited initially, as we roll out wave 1 of this initiative. Please be aware that places will not be guaranteed, and all places will be allocated within the existing formalised process.

Mainstream SEND Hubs will be best placed to meet the needs of children and young people who could thrive in mainstream with enhanced support and interventions.

They are not suitable for children and young people with complex needs who require specialist provision.

Children and young people with a degree of speech, language and communication needs, and those with cognition and learning needs may be most suitable to the Mainstream SEND Hub

The SEND Hubs will not be suitable for children and young people with behavior which significantly challenges.

The Council are developing a profile of suitability for mainstream SEND Hubs which will inform the Needs Assessment and Annual Review process, where Hub is identified as a possible option.

How is the Mainstream SEND Hub funded and staffed?

The Council will be funding all building and renovation works required in the identified area of the school.

The Council will also be funding the cost of “kitting out” the Hub with appropriate resources and supporting the cost of recruitment.

Schools will receive an allocation of funding for each pupil placed in the Hub.

This funding ensures the Hub can provide the following

One Qualified Teacher
Two Teaching Assistants
One Intervention Worker Enhanced Leadership Time
Enhanced SENDCo Time (additional half a day per week)
Additional Midday Supervisor
Learning Resources
Staff funding at appropriate level for those with experience of teaching or supporting children and young people with SEND

We have received reassurance from the LA that our school will not be detrimentally impacted financially with the implementation of the SEND Hubs, nor will they impact the school’s ability or financial capacity to meet the needs of children and young people educated in the wider school.

How will you ensure staff are appropriately trained?

Lincolnshire County Council are providing all host school with an intensive training package which will cover all areas of working with children and young people with SEND.
This training is being developed by experts in the specialist sector and is part of the wider SEND Workforce Development Strategy which supports the county’s special schools.
Specialised training will not just be for those working in the Hub, it will be for all involved in running of our school – Trust Boards, Governors, Senior Leadership, SENDCo’s and Hub staff.
All school staff will also commit to completing the SEND Workforce Development Learning Platform modules to enhance knowledge and skills across the provision.
In addition, a further 8 modules per year will be added to the SEND Workforce Development Learning Platform, aimed at enhancing skills of those involved with the SEND Hubs.

How do I find out more about Mainstream SEND Hubs?

If you have further questions and would like to discuss Mainstream SEND Hubs in more detail, please submit your questions via email to :

Rachael Skelton, Headteacher – admin@gainsboroughacademy.com

If we receive a large number of enquiries and further discussion is deemed advisable, we may decide to provide an opportunity to discuss this initiative in person, with representation from Lincolnshire County Council’s SEND and Inclusion Teams. We will provide further details if this is to be offered.

If you wish to submit a response to the proposal, please email your comments to

consultation@gainsboroughacademy.com

Please ensure all comments are submitted by Monday 10th February 2025. These will be forwarded to the Department for Education who will consider all responses as part of our request to make this addition to the school.

We are very excited to be part of this exciting journey for our school and all the benefits this will bring the children and young people living in our local community.