A primary school in Southampton is building a new classroom dedicated to teaching children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) amid a ‘crisis’ in the city.

Children with SEND at St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School are currently taught by a dedicated team of staff in a former music and drama room.

The school in Fort Road, Woolston, calls this the ‘Shamrock Room’ provision.

The space is also used by other children for interventions, therapy and other support.

Under the plans for the new modular building, the relocation of the SEND provision will see the existing room revert to its former music and drama use.

A planning application for the dedicated SEND classroom was approved by Southampton City Council planning officers under delegated powers.

A design and access statement said the school currently caters for eight children with education, health and care plans (EHCPs), as well as another six children who have additional learning needs and are waiting for EHCP proposals to be processed.

The statement said being unable to use the purpose-built music room for music teaching and drama meant the rest of the school was “severely disadvantaged as the teaching they get is highly compromised, having to be squeezed into whatever other spaces are available”.

“Within Southampton local authority area, there is a crisis for provision for children with severe SEND,” the statement said.

“All the mainstream schools are having to take in many more children with severe needs who in the past would have been offered places at special schools.

“This means all the mainstream schools are having to find creative solutions; many are able to use spare classrooms as the two-pupil population has diminished, but at St Patrick’s the school is full with waiting lists in all year groups, so there is no chance of any classroom becoming available.”

The new building will be used by between five and 10 children, with four to six staff and its own internal toilet facility.

A report by the planning case officer said: “The proposal would facilitate an additional education resource on an existing school site, which will help Southampton City Council to (fulfil) its responsibility to provide school places."