Proposal to a combination of refurbishment and adjacent site development for Ivel Valley School and College

Start date

Monday 22 June 2026

End date

Monday 17 August 2026

Information

Notice is hereby given that, in accordance with Section 19(1) of the Education and Inspections Act 2006, and having regard to the statutory guidance “Making significant changes (‘prescribed alterations’) to maintained schools (August 2025)”, Central Bedfordshire Council (Priory House, Monks Walk, Chicksands, Shefford, Beds SG17 5TQ) is considering a prescribed alteration at Ivel Valley School, Hitchmead Road, Biggleswade, SG18 0NL.

This Statutory Consultation invites interested parties to respond to making significant changes (‘prescribed alterations of the maintained schools’) to the proposed establishment of a combination of refurbishment and adjacent site development for Ivel Valley School & College (this will consist of option 1a and option 1b from the initial consultation). This includes providing at least 20 new classrooms and remodelling 12 current classrooms into 6 larger classroom, as well as providing additional parking. This will increase the total number of places at the school to 330.

Description of proposed alteration

In January 2023, the Council’s Executive considered the future of specialist school place provision and recognised the need for more pupil places following feedback from parents and updated forecasts. It was agreed to continue work on the delivery of the short to medium-term need for additional places within Central Bedfordshire, whilst working on the strategic specialist place plan to meet longer term need.

Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) is proposing changes to Ivel Valley School and College to address the increasing demand for special school places in the local area.

Ivel Valley School and College is currently the only special school serving the east of Central Bedfordshire. The proposed changes relate to the main school site on Hitchmead Road, Biggleswade.

Between 2017 and 2023, the demand for places for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in Central Bedfordshire increased by approximately 94%. As part of the Council’s wider plan to expand local SEND provision, additional school places are required to ensure that all children can access appropriate education within their community.

To meet this need, CBC is proposing a combination of refurbishment on the current school site and new accommodation either on the site or on an adjacent site close to Ivel Valley School and College. This is a combination of options 1a and 1b from the ‘Have your say’ consultation and we will work with the school to find the best layout. The proposal includes:

• Provide 20 new classrooms
• Remodelling 12 existing classrooms to create 6 larger, improved learning spaces
• Additional parking provision
• An increase in the school’s total capacity to 330 places

These changes are designed to ensure Ivel Valley School and College can continue to meet the growing and varied needs of pupils with SEND in the area.

For this refurbishment and development at Ivel Valley School & College to proceed, the Department for Education requires Central Bedfordshire Council to publish a proposal to make the prescribed alterations as set out in the guidance (Making significant changes (‘prescribed alterations’) to maintained schools).

About Ivel Valley School and College

Ivel Valley School and College is a community special school providing education for pupils aged 3 to 19 years, covering early years, primary, secondary, and post-16 (college) phases. Ivel Valley School and College is an area based special school and meets a range of complex needs.

All pupils at the school have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), and class sizes are small to reflect the high level of individual support required, with an average pupil-to-teacher ratio of approximately 6:1.

The school operates across designated areas for each age group and provides a highly individualised curriculum designed to meet a wide range of learning and developmental needs.

According to the most recent published data, Ivel Valley School and College employs 42 teachers and 109 teaching assistants, supporting pupils across all age groups and settings.

On 19 September 2025, CBC launched a preliminary consultation, on the proposed changes at Ivel Valley School and College.

The proposals set out to meet a key priority of the CBC SEND Strategy 2022-25.

A summary of the responses to the preliminary consultation, is outlined below:

• 82% of responses support increasing pupil numbers at the school to 330
• 16% of responses support the preferred option (option 1b from the initial consultation)

The preferred option in the ‘Have your Say consultation’ was to provide more than 20 brand new classrooms across two new teaching blocks; one on the existing site and one on unused land at Stratton School. Additional parking to be provided with each block. Plus, remodelling 12 current classrooms into 6 larger classrooms.

Key themes in the comments regarding option 1b from the ‘Have your say’ consultation include:

• Concerns about split site
• Disruption during works
• Difficult to move pupils across the site
• Parking/congestion issues
• Issues around the public rights of way

SEND Strategy Plan

Ensuring suitable educational provision

We want children, to attend school as close to where they live as possible. If a child or young person requires specialist provision, we want to be able to identify this quickly and secure places that allow for them to move quickly into this provision. We will work closely with our special schools to continue to provide high-quality provision.

Increased specialist educational places in the local area so that children can stay in their local community, when appropriate.

Inclusive mainstream education with the right resources and training to support children at the point at which needs are identified.

Regular and high-quality reviews of plans for children and young people to ensure educational provision is based on their needs and aspirations as they change over time.

CBC has a statutory duty, under Section 14 of the Education Act 1966, to provide school places for all children, including those who have special educational needs and/or a disability. There is a duty to ensure that a school place is available to meet this demand within SEND sector.

CBC is committed to ensuring that all children can access high-quality education, as near to their family and local community as possible. This is outlined in the co-produced (Council and NHS) Specialist School Place Plan (SSPP) 2022–2030.

The SSPP 2022 – 2030 was reviewed by Overview and Scrutiny in October 2023 and subsequently has been revised to take account of a growing need for specialist provision as well as the prevalence of different types of need. Autism continues to be the main area of special educational need of children and young people with SEND in Central Bedfordshire. Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs is the second largest area of need.

Objectives – including how the proposal would increase educational standards and parental choice

The objective of the proposal is to ensure that CBC can continue to fulfil its statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for children with special educational needs in Central Bedfordshire.

CBC and the Governing Body of Ivel Valley School and College have carefully considered the combination of refurbishment and adjacent site development expansion, which will increase capacity to 330 places and bring potential benefits to the school and the local community including:

• ensuring that local children with SEND can attend their local school
• the expanded school would continue to have the same values, ethos and links with the town that currently exist
• an increase would build upon an Ofsted ‘good’ school rating which is already very much part of the community, providing an opportunity for the wider and expanding community to benefit
• an opportunity to continue building on existing best practice and extending it to more children
• facilitating more SEND provision

The proposed change would not adversely affect parental choice within the town. Placements are allocated by CBC.

Parents of a child with an EHC Plan have the right to express a preference for a particular school or other institution to be named within their child’s EHC Plan. CBC has a duty to name the school of parental preference (Section 39(3) of the Children and Families Act 2014) unless the school or other institution requested is unsuitable for the age, ability, aptitude or special educational needs of the child or young person concerned; or the attendance of the child or young person at the requested school or other institution would be incompatible with the provision of efficient education for others, or the efficient use of resources (Section 39(4) of the Children and Families Act 2014).

Therefore, a request for a place at Ivel Valley School and College would be considered by the EHC Team at CBC.

The effect on other educational institutions within the area

There would be no adverse effect on other similar provisions within the area.

Project costs and indication of how these would be met

CBC has agreed to fund the additional places from 2029.

The 2026 / 2027 medium-term financial plan (MTFP) sets out the forecast expenditure for Ivel Valley School and College. This was approved by Full Council on 26 February 2026.

Education standards and diversity of provision

Ivel Valley School and College is an Ofsted ‘good’ rated school. CBC supports school expansions where schools are rated 'good’ and above.

The increase in school capacity at Ivel Valley School and College would enhance the offer of special educational provision within the local area for children.

School size

Ivel Valley School and College is a community special school providing education for pupils aged 3 to 19 years, covering early years, primary, secondary, and post-16 (college) phases.

The school operates over two sites. Pupils aged 3-16 are based at Hitchmead Road, Biggleswade. Pupils aged 16-19 are based at the post-16 provision at the Baulk, Biggleswade.

‘For an increase of 10% or 20 pupils (whichever is the smaller number) governing bodies and local authorities may seek to increase the number of places by following the statutory consultation process as required by the Department for Education’ as set out on page 24 of the Statutory Guidance. Making significant changes ('prescribed alterations') to maintained schools.

Proposed admission arrangements

The admission arrangements for the Ivel Valley School and College will not change. CBC  Special Educational Needs and Disabilities team will continue to be the admitting authority for Ivel Valley School and College.

National curriculum

Ivel Valley School and College will continue operating across designated areas for each age group and provide a highly individualised curriculum designed to meet a wide range of learning and developmental needs.

Equal opportunity issues

CBC has a statutory duty to promote equality of opportunity, eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and foster good relations in respect of nine protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

To consider local needs and implications, an Equality Impact Assessment will be carried out in respect of the proposal.

CBC has a statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient special school places for children that need them. Age and disability are key considerations in respect of this duty and for the Special School Places strategy.

There are no planned changes – there would be a continuation of the school’s current policies and procedures to ensure there is no discrimination and to promote equal opportunities and foster good relations.

Community cohesion

The combination of refurbishment and adjacent site development for Ivel Valley School and College will allow more pupils to receive their education locally and not have to travel further in Central Bedfordshire or outside the local authority to access educational provision.

Travel and accessibility

The proposed increase in numbers would affect the number of staff employed at the school and is likely to add to the numbers of vehicles needing access to the school.

Due to specialist needs, most pupils will travel in by school transport, therefore the Ivel Valley School and College and CBC will continue to review any highways issues.

There is likely to be an increase of vehicles transporting the pupils.

School premises and playing fields

The additional numbers have no adverse effects on the school premises or playing fields.

Proposed stages for implementation

Timeline for decision making

As the school is a maintained school, CBC is the responsible body in terms of leading on any statutory processes. The Department for Education’s (DfE) Statutory guidance for proposers and decision makers: Making significant changes (‘prescribed alterations) to maintained schools (PDF) outlines the process.

If the change is approved by CBC, it is anticipated that the work and new places will be available by winter 2028 / 2029.

Related documents

Agenda for Executive, 2 June 2026

Ivel Valley School & College proposed changes - Easy Read version (PDF)

Statutory notice

View or download statutory notice (PDF)

Give feedback

This formal consultation commenced on 22 June 2026 and will run until 17 August 2026.

Have your say

To either confirm your support or raise any objections any comments should be submitted by 17 August 2026.

Following the close of the consultation, the Council’s Executive will be asked to consider the responses received and determine the proposal at the meeting to be held on 6 October 2026.