1 in 6 Children Identified with SEND: Our Ambition in Action to Support Children in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to Thrive
Over the past few weeks, there has been renewed national focus on SEND and early intervention. For me, this isn’t just a policy discussion — it’s about children, families and the reality many are facing here in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Demand for SEND support is rising. Across Hampshire, more than 12,000 children and young people now have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), with numbers increasing year on year. On the Isle of Wight, the rate of children identified with SEND is above the national average. Local authorities across the region continue to report significant pressure within high needs budgets, reflecting the growing scale of demand.
In that context, early intervention isn’t optional — it’s essential.
As CEO at YMCA Fairthorne Group, I’m clear about the role we must play. Inclusion cannot sit with one specialist or one room. It must be part of our culture — a whole-team commitment, built into how we work every day.
Across our early years’ settings, we support more than 1,300 children. Through the Inclusive Classroom Profile, embedded across our 6 Hampshire nurseries including Little Whale at Whale Island and Newport on the Isle of Wight, we’ve reshaped environments to be calmer, more sensory-aware and responsive to individual children’s needs. That work and commitment is not just rhetoric, it is the daily practice of our staff.
And that’s where my real pride lies, in working with my staff to deliver the best care and experience possible for every child in our charge, whatever their needs or circumstances.
Our teams show extraordinary patience, skill and compassion. We invest in SEND training across our settings because we want every member of staff to feel confident and equipped to meet the challenges the children in our care face. Supporting them with additional needs requires insight, adaptability and heart. I see that commitment in our nurseries every day.
This spring, we are expanding our nursery at Fairthorne Manor to include a dedicated new facility for babies, increasing our onsite capacity to 177 places. The new space has been designed as a calm, nurturing environment and utilizes our fantastic outdoor learning environment, unique to our Fairthorne Manor setting. It reflects our belief that the right environment, at the right time, can change a child’s experience of developing and learning.
My ambition for YMCA Fairthorne Group is simple: that every child who walks through our doors feels safe, understood and is given the very best start in life — whatever their starting point.
As we are preparing to open our expanded setting, we’ll be inviting families to join us at Stay and Play sessions to experience our inclusive approach first-hand. We would love to welcome you and talk about how we can support your child.
Children’s needs are growing, and so must our response. Children’s needs are growing. So must our response. I’m proud of the work our team is doing, and we remain committed to working in partnership with families, local authorities, sector partners and services to deliver the consistent, joined-up support children need to thrive.
-Phillipa Spicer, CEO of YMCA Fairthorne Group
