Pupils are now settling into newly refurbished classrooms at Larwood School on Beech Road in Dunstable, delivered by us, while the former Pulloxhill Lower School is refurbished to permanently provide up to 50 much-needed placements.
Demand for specialist provision continues to rise and in the last 2 years specialist places in Central Bedfordshire have grown from 1,069 to more than 1,167. The new interim provision is part of our wider strategy to improve SEND provision across the area, ensuring children and young people receive the right support in the right setting.
Pierre van der Merwe, Executive Headteacher at Larwood School, part of the Brighter Futures Education Trust, said:
I would like to thank Central Bedfordshire Council for getting this project over the line. We are now able to provide desperately needed placements for pupils who have been without an appropriate SEN offer or out of education entirely.
This work has made a meaningful difference to children and families who have been waiting far too long. We greatly look forward to working even more closely with Central Bedfordshire Council in the future and sincerely hope there will be further opportunities to collaborate with MGBC Construction again.
Councillor Steve Owen, our Executive Member for Children’s Services and Community Safety, said:
We know how critical it is to provide timely and appropriate support for children with SEMH needs. Opening this interim provision means we can help children who have been waiting far too long for a suitable placement. It’s a key step in delivering our commitment to expand and improve SEND provision across Central Bedfordshire, so every child can thrive.
Our long-term plans include creating more specialist school places and investing in facilities to meet growing demand for SEND support and, since last year, additional resource provisions (ARPs) have been delivered at Stratton School (24 places in Biggleswade), Shefford Lower School (8 places in Shefford), Sandy Secondary (24 places in Sandy) and Brooklands Middle School (12 places in Leighton Buzzard). 50 additional places have also been delivered at The Chiltern School (Houghton Regis).
In 2026, we will be inviting schools that are interested in having an ARP to submit an expression of interest, so that more schools can support local needs in their area and provide an inclusion education experience for local children.