- Title or Description
- Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Alternative Provision (AP)
- FOI Number
- 20250911
- Date Received
- 14/07/2025
- Type of Request
- FOI
- Request or Question
-
I would be grateful if you could provide the following information: SEN Placements 1. The total number of children and young people currently receiving SEN support, broken down by type of placement (e.g. mainstream schools, special schools, private or independent providers).
2. New students placed into SEN provision in the academic year 2024/2025
3. The number of children and young people who have been placed outside the local authority area.
4. The total cost to the local authority for SEN placements in the academic year 2024/2025, broken down by type of placement and provider.
5. Breakdown in the number of SEN placements and associated costs over the last five years.
Alternative Provision Placements
1. The total number of children and young people currently in Alternative Provision placements, broken down by type (e.g. pupil referral units, independent alternative provision providers).
2. New students placed into AP placements in the academic year 2024/2025
3. The number of AP placements made outside the local authority area.
4. The total cost to the local authority for AP placements in the academic year 2024/2025, broken down by provider.
5. Breakdown in the number of AP placements and associated costs over the last five years.
6. Are you working with any online providers of AP tuition/provision e.g. Tute or Academy21
Waiting Times and Capacity
1. The average waiting time for both SEN and AP placements in the last academic year (2024/2025) and how many students are on the waiting list.
2. The average waiting time for both SEN and AP placements in the academic year 2023/2024 and how many students are on the waiting list. - Response
-
SEN Placements "1. Specialist Primary School = 19 Enhanced provision units within secondary and primary schools = 144 "
2. New students placed into SEN provision in the academic year 2024/2025 13 new P1 pupils in 2024-25"
3. The number of children and young people who have been placed outside the local authority area = 14
4. The total cost to the local authority for SEN placements in the academic year 2024/2025, broken down by type of placement and provider - See below
5. Breakdown in the number of SEN placements and associated costs over the last five years. See below
Questions 4 and 5 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
SEND Transport- Transport for children and young people with SEND to schools or colleges - Supplied by Scottish Borders Council Additional Support Needs 896,766 899,921 970,986 1,490,513 1,859,260 TOTAL 896,766 899,921 970,986 1,490,513 1,859,260
Additional Support in Mainstream Settings- Funding to help mainstream schools support pupils with additional needs (e.g., SENCOs, specialist teaching) - Supplied by Scottish Borders Council Additional Support Needs 9,527,951 10,268,240 10,568,383 11,202,201 11,952,287 TOTAL 9,527,951 10,268,240 10,568,383 11,202,201 11,952,287
Specialist Support Services- Therapists (e.g., speech and language therapy, occupational therapy), specialist teachers, or educational psychologists. - Supplied by Scottish Borders Council Educational Psychology 649,240 707,726 765,827 753,206 770,901 TOTAL 649,240 707,726 765,827 753,206 770,901
Early Years SEND Support- Targeted support for children with SEND in nurseries or early years settings - Supplied by Scottish Borders Council Additional Support Needs 772,004 808,359 897,613 882,419 622,626 TOTAL 772,004 808,359 897,613 882,419 622,626
Other Advisory or Inclusion Services- Local teams providing advice to schools on inclusion strategies - Supplied by Scottish Borders Council Additional Support Needs 854,975 908,323 978,893 1,025,069 992,925 TOTAL 854,975 908,323 978,893 1,025,069 992,925
External SEN placement Acorn Care and Education Limited 432,692
Donaldsons School 40,850
Ochil Tower School Limited 215,589
Sight Scotland 337,488
Witham Prospect School 457,877
TOTAL 99,816 129,522 187,478 805,304 1,484,497
GRAND TOTAL 12,800,752 13,722,091 14,369,180 16,158,712 17,682,496
No of External Placements * 5 5 6 9 * S38 applies to 2020/21
Alternative Provision Placements
1. 0 Scottish Borders Council do not currently run an alternative provision model .
2. 0
3. 14
4. See below
5.See below
6. No ? not known to SBC
4 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 Specialist Educational Placements- Funding for places at special schools, including independent or out-of-county schools.
City Of Edinburgh Council 14,165
Dumfries And Galloway Council 19,751
Glasgow City Council 172
North Ayrshire Council 4,996
Aberlour Child Care Trust 159,560
Action For Children 87,930
Applied Care And Development Limited 1,385,606
Aspire Scotland Limited 371,047
Barnardos 43,043
Camphill School Aberdeen 279,720
Carevisions 252,081
Common Thread Limited 1,813,843
Compass Fostering Central Limited 68,885
Fife Council 11,939
Foster Care Connect Limited 53,408
Fostering People Limited 71,760
Harmeny Education Trust Limited 1,679,843
Hillside School 840,088
Horizons Residential Care Limited 240,461
Imagine Care Limited 592,408
Inspire Scotland 448,224
Kedleston Wings Education Limited 55,723
Kibble Education and Care Centre 2,173,549
KPMS Commercial Limited 78,474
Mary Hare School 100,440
Moore House Care 349,038
NHS Borders 54,000
Northumberland County Council 108,545
Phoenix Abbey 857,532
Radical Services 59,379
Spark Of Genius Training Limited 471,595
Starley Hall School Limited 338,660
The Good Shepherd Centre 613,583
The National Fostering Agency Scotland Limited 131,231
Young Foundations 19,665 Accruals -68,856 TOTAL 13,781,487 5 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 Total Costs 5,657,538 6,464,405 8,710,110 12,252,476 13,781,487 No of External Placements 64 66 74 83 71 Short Breaks/Respite Care- Services for families of children with SEND to give carers a break. Additional Support Needs 0 0 0 0 0 CandFSW 533,895 336,494 336,299 533,895 335,990 TOTAL 533,895 336,494 336,299 533,895 335,990 Please note that the above contain elements of education and care provision and cannot be differentiated Waiting Times and Capacity "1. The average waiting time for both SEN and AP placements in the last academic year (2024/2025) and how many students are on the waiting list. There are no waiting times for entry into an SEN school or unit provided by the local authority. We do have a referral process with set criteria" "2. The average waiting time for both SEN and AP placements in the academic year 2023/2024 and how many students are on the waiting list. As above"
