By Andrew Topping, Local Democracy Reporter
The site of a former middle school in Mansfield has been selected as the preferred location to build a new 160-pupil special school in the county.
The former Ravensdale School site, on Ravensdale Road, was demolished after it closed in 2001 and the site has remained derelict and unused for several years.
However, Nottinghamshire County Council says it has now been selected as a suitable site to deliver a new school tailored to children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
The Conservative-led authority outlined plans to create new SEND sites across the county in 2019, with Hucknall or Ollerton initially selected to take on sites.
Ollerton eventually became the preferred location for a new school but a selected site was found to have contamination issues and problems with space.
The authority also found there was more need for SEND sites in Mansfield and Ashfield, where 41 per cent of all Nottinghamshire children waiting for SEND spaces live.
The two districts also accounted for 37.3 per cent of all new education, health and care plans between 2018 and 2022, the authority adds.
Issues with the Ollerton site meant the council needed to find an alternative site and now it has confirmed the former Ravensdale site will be its chosen location.
The council says a new special school on this site could be delivered by September 2025 and would have the capacity for a 160-place school.
Its focus would be a “very specific and specialist learning environment” for pupils with autism and social, emotional and mental health needs.
Derek Higton, interim corporate director for place, said in a report: “The council-owned, cleared site of the former Ravensdale School has been identified as a suitable alternative. It is well located to meet existing demands.
“[It] has the ability to be delivered by September 2025 [and] initial design work has been undertaken which has shown the site has the capacity to provide for a 160-place school.
“The proposed new SEN school is to provide a very specific and specialist learning environment for 160 pupils with autism and social, emotional and mental health needs, to help meet the growing demand.”
To ensure the new school would be able to meet the children’s needs, the council says a number of design elements would be included during construction.
Classrooms would factor in acoustic performance, ‘escape space’ and sensory zones and would allow children to “recalibrate their senses” as they travel through the building.
The authority says it plans to make the new school carbon-neutral with solar panels installed alongside air-to-water heat pumps.
The total cost of the new school has not been revealed and will be outlined at a later date.
But the principle of bringing forward the new school was approved by Cllr Keith Girling (Con), cabinet member for asset management, on Monday (March 6).
Cllr Ben Bradley (Con), the council’s leader, is also Mansfield’s MP.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “It’s good news that we’re going to expand this SEND provision.
“It’s part of a wider plan to add some 400 additional places but we want to bring old, disused Mansfield sites back into positive use.
“We want to invest money and support the most vulnerable kids in Mansfield so that is really positive.
“We don’t know the exact costings yet as it’s early days but we’ve made the decision that this is the suitable site.
“We’re backed by £20m or so from the Government in terms of extra funding for SEND places so it’s positive news but we’ve still got a little way to go.”
