NEW provision for pupils with special educational needs or disabilities in Bradford is set to be approved amid a huge rise in demand.

The plan, for Bingley Grammar School, will be discussed on Tuesday by Bradford Council's decision-making Executive and is part of a related proposal to increase the school's capacity by 150 places.

Last October, a £6.1m investment from the Council's Basic Needs funding was approved for the scheme.

A report to councillors says the need for the 24-place provision is set against the backdrop of a surge in demand for SEND provision over the last decade.

The report says: "Over recent years there has been a significant increase in the number of children entering the secondary phase of education for both mainstream and specialist provision across the district.

"The Bradford district has experienced a significant increase in demand for SEND provision over the last 10 years.

"The number of children and young people with an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) within the Bradford district continues to rise year on year.

"The high levels of occupancy of the current specialist provisions demonstrates that there is a need to develop more specialist provisions across the district in order to meet current and future demand."

The report says the proposed provision at Bingley Grammar "would ultimately reduce the reliance on placing children and young people with SEND, within more expensive specialist provisions outside of our local authority."

It adds: "The percentage increase in the number of children and young people with an EHCP for the Bradford District between 2017 and 2021 was 14.6 per cent.

"This is significantly higher than the increase of 9.7 per cent in Yorkshire and Humber during the same period and the national increase of 10.2 per cent."

A plan has also forecast that specialist places will need to be increased for the academic years 2022-23 and 2023-24 by 100 to 120 places each year.

It says the plan highlights that specialist places are required for children and young people with communication and interaction needs, including Autistic Spectrum Disorders, and the proposal would ease pressure across the district and "offer a clear pathway for parents and children accessing specialist provision".

The report says the Executive has two options, either to approve the plans, which is the recommendation, or "reject the above proposals and the status quo remains, leaving a significant shortage of places available in specialist places for the children and young people across the district".