A north Shropshire school could provide specialist teaching places to children with special needs under plans being considered by Shropshire Council.

The proposal would see Morda Primary School establish an eight-pupil unit for children with autistic spectrum conditions and speech, language and communication needs.

The council says the places would be targeted at pupils with developmental difficulties of a significant to severe nature but who are “able to integrate and be part of a mainstream school community”.

A public consultation on the scheme launched yesterday (June 18), but if successful, the first pupils would be enrolled in September.

The so-called “resourced provision” places at Morda are being offered in response to a significant increase in demand in the area, with further increases projected.

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Resourced provisions are reserved places at a mainstream school for pupils with a specific type of special educational needs, who require some specialist facilities based within the school. Children are taught mainly within mainstream classes, but are able to use specialist facilities for additional support.

“Shropshire Council is developing a wide range of specialist provision across the county for children and young people with a range of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND),” says a consultation document published on the council website.

“To enable us to continue to meet current and future demand, existing specialist provisions are being expanded/re-designated and new specialist provision, including resourced provisions, are being established.”

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The authority says the move is part of a plan to reduce the amount of pupils being sent to specialist schools outside Shropshire by improving provision within the county borders.

Extra capital grant funding for the programme is being provided by the Department for Education, with top up revenue funding for the scheme provided via Shropshire Council’s Dedicated Schools Grant.

“Long-term value for money will be achieved by pupils having their needs met within appropriate mainstream provision with specialist support rather than in special school provision,” the document added.

“This will free special school places for pupils with the highest level of needs and provide the opportunity to place high need pupils within the county, rather than in out of county provision or in the independent sector.”

Shropshire Council says the proposed scheme is a new resource which will “supplement and improve” provision across the county, which will also provide outreach support to other schools in the area.

The consultation on the proposals closes on the Shropshire Council website on July 16.