Hertfordshire school expansion highlights need for extra SEND places

Southfield School on Woods Avenue, Hatfield, is a community school for children and young people aged four to 11 with autism, speech, language and communication needs, developmental delays and other difficulties.

Hertfordshire County Council’s executive cabinet has approved plans to expand the school from 100 to 126 pupils, effective from September 1, 2026.

Councillor Mark Watkin, portfolio holder for Education, SEND and Inclusion, said that he was “delighted” by the outcome.

He described Southfield as “an amazing school” that serves the needs of children with SEND, and he added that the extra pupil places are “desperately needed”.

To accommodate the extra pupils, the council will add a new modular building at Southfield School, including classrooms and sensory spaces, as well as 12 additional parking bays. The £1.71 million capital funding for this was approved by the council’s director of finance on September 3.

The council’s own report underscored the need for additional SEND places across the county.

It stated: “The need for special school places is rapidly increasing. Despite increasing the number of funded places in special schools by 867 since 2019/20, representing a 37% increase, there remains a significant number of children who cannot access a specialist place.

“Currently, over 700 children with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) are awaiting a place at a specialist provision. Of these children, there are 469 children in Hertfordshire awaiting an LD or SLD (learning disabilities or severe learning difficulty) special school place. This number is subject to change as new children are identified as requiring placement, and as new placements are secured.

“The longer the children are on the waiting list for a special school place, the greater risk of Judicial Review against the Local Authority for not securing a special school placement.”