Dorset Council has committed to use Government funding to deliver Osprey Quay Special School on Portland.

The council was given a choice to either continue with the Department for Education led project to deliver Osprey Quay Special School or to opt for a significant  alternative funding settlement, on top of our high needs capital grant, to deliver the same number of school places in a different way.

We have now written to the Government to stress that our decision is to continue with the Osprey Quay Special School, providing up to 75 places for children and young people.

Councillor Clare Sutton, Cabinet Portfolio Member for Children’s Service, said the school is central to our shared ambition of improving educational outcomes and ensuring every child has access to high quality provision.

Cllr Sutton added: “This is particularly critical in Weymouth and Portland, given the entrenched deprivation experienced by many children in the area. Five areas in Weymouth and Portland have been identified as being in the top 10% of most deprived areas nationally.”

Osprey Quay Special School development was agreed in 2019 as part of the Alternative Provision for Free School Wave 2 process, which included the appointment of the Southern Education Trust to lead and govern the school, before the Government paused the project.

Meanwhile, the announcement that councils will be funded for 90% of historic SEND deficits up to 2025 – 26 is welcomed by Dorset Council.

In preparation councils have been asked to bring together their local SEND and inclusion partnership members to start planning the changes needed to strengthen the local SEND system.

This work has started in Dorset building on strong foundations of excellent practice as recognised by Ofsted during the Area SEND inspection of Dorset Local Area Partnership in March 2024 when they reported that children and young people with SEND and their families are placed at the heart of all that leaders in the partnership do.