Peterborough special school set for expansion as council faces £28m bill to find school places

Plans have been put forward to extend Nenegate School in Peterborough amid rising pupil numbers.

Nenegate is a special school offering education to pupils between aged 8 -16 years old with Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties (SEMH) identified as their primary need.

Currently, the school can accept up to 48 pupils but, following the proposed extension, this would rise to 96.

The extension would comprise of five new teaching buildings and a new teaching block.

The school is currently at capacity and there are 24 children in the city who require a specialist SEMH placement. Therefore, these children have to be placed in out of county independent schools at a cost to the council.

In October 2024, 12 children with a main presenting need in SEMH were placed as such, at an annual cost of £852,000 to the authority.

An annual SEMH placement costs approximately £70,000 and the council has estimated that the remaining 24 children will need to be schooled at a cost in excess of £1.5m per year.

Based upon 2023/2024 figures, it is forecast that 46 additional children may be determined to require specialist SEMH placement over the next 12 months.

The cost of placing 40 additional children who could be accommodated at Nenegate School’s expansion out of county is estimated to exceed £28m in ten years, with additional transport costs.

The plans will be discussed by the city council’s cabinet at its meeting on Tuesday (December 17).

Councillors have been asked to recommend that the council fund the extension but that it would be led by the Meridian. The project is to be funded using High Needs Grant Funding, funding already secured by the local authority.

The trust is currently working to an 18 month programme commencing in January 2025 and completing in advance of the September 2027 intake of pupils.