Council set to decide on new SEND facility in St George's Primary
“If this means keeping Portsmouth children in Portsmouth, I’m behind it 100 per cent”
Plans for a new inclusion centre at a Portsmouth school for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are set to be approved by the city council.
Following feedback from parents and teachers, the council has been recommended to approve a new specialist learning facility at St George’s Primary School in Hanover Street in the Charles Dickens ward.
Inclusion centres provide support to SEND pupils on mainstream school sites, whereas special schools cater to SEND pupils exclusively.
The Labour government is encouraging the development of inclusion centres, or “specialist bases,” as part of its proposed reforms to the SEND system.
According to Portsmouth City Council reports, the authority has experienced “sustained growth in demand” for SEND places, with “significant pressure” on special school and inclusion centre capacity.
The proposal for St George’s Beneficial Church of England Primary School would increase the number of SEND places to 32.
The plans also note that the Top Tots day nursery building “is suitable for conversion to an Inclusion Centre and would require only limited adaptation”.
Feedback from school staff during the informal consultation phase in February and March 2026 was positive.
Staff expressed support for the proposal, describing it as “an exciting proposition and a wonderful opportunity” and noting that it “fits well with the ethos of St George’s”.
Feedback from parents was also positive. Parents welcomed the “wonderful opportunity for the families in this area that want to keep their kids in mainstream”, with one adding that if “this means keeping Portsmouth children in Portsmouth, I’m behind it 100 per cent”.
A phased opening is planned, with an ambition to welcome an initial 18 pupils in September 2026, rising to the full 32 by September 2028.
The school will be responsible for ensuring that funding received from central government covers the cost of delivering the inclusion centre.
The decision rests with the council’s cabinet member for children, families and education, Councillor Nick Dorrington, who will determine the plans on 16 June.