A MULTI-MILLION pound vision for the future of education for children with special needs and behavioural difficulties has been approved by North Yorkshire County Council.

A full meeting of the council voted in favour of the shake-up following a public consultation exercise.

Coun Caroline Patmore, the council's children and young people's services chief, said: "Our vision is a combination of modern, purpose-built special schools and purpose-built units within existing mainstream schools offering the very best education. This can be done in a way which means wherever people live in this very large county, the facilities which they need are local to them and do not entail - as they often do now - an hour's taxi ride to a suitable school. This review means that there will be a long-term, crucial role for special schools."

The blueprint outlines expenditure of nearly £50 million on the provision of facilities. Key features include:

  • the provision of three new pupil referral units
  • the building of three special needs schools
  • the provision of dedicated, ring-fenced special needs facilities in 31 mainstream schools.

The annual investment in running the new facilities has also been increased by £1.2 million.

Mrs Patmore said the improvements would not result in an increase in council tax.