Statutory Proposal for Stansfield Hall Primary School to create a permanent SEN Unit for Children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs.

Overview

Rochdale Council is now consulting on a proposal to provide additional SEN primary school places at Stansfield Hall Primary School in a permanent SEN Unit with effect from 1st January 2027.

The proposal is to create a permanent SEN Unit at Stansfield Hall Primary School. This will provide up to an additional 10 places for children with Social, Emotional or Mental Health Needs. The new SEN Unit will be in a specially adapted teaching space with qualified SEN staff and aim to support children in order for them to have specialised education while being within a mainstream school.

Cabinet approval of the Educational Sufficiency Strategy for education placements across mainstream and Special Educational Needs schools within the borough was sought and approved on the 16^th December 2025 (Agenda for Cabinet on Tuesday, 16th December, 2025, 6.00 pm (rochdale.gov.uk)).

Rochdale Council has a statutory duty under section 14 of the Education Act 1996, to ensure there is a sufficiency of school places available to meet the needs of all children and young people living within our authority. This includes having regard to the need to secure provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). In addition, section 315 of the Education Act 1996 requires that arrangements for children with SEND be kept under review. Education Sufficiency Strategy Update link

Consideration was given to the development of a series of Special School hubs and, of capital spend to provide accommodation at the Cabinet meeting on the 21^st January 2025 (Agenda for Cabinet on Tuesday, 21st January, 2025, 6.00 pm (rochdale.gov.uk)).  

The SEN hub project aims to increase the number of pupils in specialist places within the borough. In hubs, attached to mainstream schools, pupils would be able to share some elements of mainstream school and be part of their community, while accessing specialist places with supporting SEN therapies such as speech and language therapy.