East Lancashire needs more schools dedicated to teaching children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), two county councillors have said.

Azhar Ali and Mohammed Iqbal have called for an urgent meeting with County Hall education bosses amid concerns that mainstream facilities are struggling to meet the needs of the SEND pupils in their care.

County Cllr Ali, who represents the Nelson East division, told a recent Lancashire County Council meeting that there was “a clear desperate need in the east of the county, particularly around Pendle and Burnley”.

In those areas, he said, “there's an increased number of children with SEND needs who are in mainstream schools, but [they] can’t provide the support that they deserve".

County Cllr Azhar Ali says the referendum would have been a waste of money

placeholder image — County Cllr Azhar Ali says the referendum would have been a waste of money

“It’s because there’s not enough places in the special schools - and that’s what's being cited by headteachers to parents. Parents are desperate and it’s probably the biggest item, apart from potholes, that’s in my case work,” County Cllr Ali added.

Meanwhile, County Cllr Iqbal described the situation as “dire” and said there was a school in his Brierfield and Nelson West division that was “teaching 21 children who have got SEND in substandard conditions, [but] with superb teaching”.

There was no opportunity at the meeting for a response from cabinet member for education and skills Jayne Rear, but in a statement later issued to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) she said the authority was “actively addressing the growing demand for specialised SEND provision”.

She added: “[We are doing this] through our SEND sufficiency strategy, which delivered more than 170 extra places in September through specialist units in mainstream schools and extensions to our maintained special schools.

“We will work with school leaders in Pendle and Nelson and across Lancashire whilst continuing to explore ways of creating more specialist provision across our region in order to address this national trend and ensure the best outcomes for children in Lancashire.

"We deeply value every child's unique needs and are dedicated to creating an inclusive environment where all children, including those with SEND, can thrive. Nationally, there is a huge increase in the number of children seeking SEND support and education, health and care Plans (ECHPs).”

As the LDRS revealed last month, there are now almost 12,000 children with EHCPs in the county council area - which excludes Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool - up from around 7,300 in January 2020.