September 2025 Kirklees SEND Newsletter
Construction starts for new special school
We are delighted to confirm that construction work has begun for a new special school in Deighton, Huddersfield.
The facility will be a brand-new school for Joseph Norton Academy, which caters for pupils with Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs.
It will boost opportunities, learning and outcomes for thousands of children and young people for many years to come. The ambitious project is funded by Kirklees Council as part of the district-wide transformation of SEND support.
Read the full, exciting story on the Kirklees Together website (opens link in new window).
Local Offer Live 2025
Don’t forget the Local Offer is coming to life on Thursday, October 23, from 9:15am to 5:15pm, at the Accu Stadium, Huddersfield.
Local Offer Live helps families find help, services and activities to support children and young people (aged 0-25) with SEND.
Kirklees Council has teamed up with PCAN (Parents of Children with Additional Needs) to bring you the Local Offer Live 2025. More than 80 organisations are booked for the event, with a wide range of information and advice available.
There is also a range of workshops available on the day, for more information please have a look at the Local Offer Live page
Stalls include:
- Barnardo’s family navigators
- C+K Careers
- Kirklees Benefits Advice team
- Carers count
- Central Youth Club
- DWP
- Community enablement team
- Families Together
- Huddersfield Town Foundation
- Huddersfield Support Group for Autism
- Mencap
- REAL Employment and many, many more!
As well as the chance to chat with services and activity providers, you can also meet other local families and talk to support groups. Come along at any time on the day - we look forward to seeing you there!
For more details about PCAN, please visit the PCAN website (opens link in new window).
Kirklees SEND inspection completed
A Local Area SEND inspection for Kirklees has recently been published. The inspection looks at how well education, health and social care services in a local area meet the needs of children and young people with SEND. The inspectors are from Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission.
As part of a SEND inspection, the inspectors can choose one of three conclusions about local area SEND arrangements - these can be summarised as: ‘positive’; ‘inconsistent’; or ‘widespread failings’. The Kirklees area was judged to be in the second category.
In recent years, over half of SEND inspections around the country have brought the same outcome. In Kirklees, the inspectors highlighted areas in need of more development and also praised many strengths.
The areas for development had already been identified through feedback from families and working with PCAN & SEND professionals in Kirklees. Action was already being taken and a new SEND action plan is being written at the moment and we will provide more details when this is complete.
All of this would not be possible without the incredibly valuable co-production work between PCAN and partners across Kirklees.
The local partnership is doing a huge amount of work to transform SEND services in Kirklees and to bring the best possible support for children and families.
You can find the Kirklees Local Area inspection on the Local Offer website.
Join up with Phab to support local families
Phab, a national charity supporting families affected by disability, is coming to Kirklees.
Phab runs fun activities, helps to build confidence and also offers spaces for families to connect with each other. Now, a new ‘Phab Club’ is being developed locally – and Phab want to hear from Kirklees parents/carers who can shape it.
Can you help Phab to make a difference? There’s more information on the Local Offer website.
en-GBLast updated: 01/07/2025