Millions to be spent improving special educational needs facilities at two Nottingham schools

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Fernwood School (Google)

By Joe Locker, Local Democracy Reporter

Two Nottingham schools are expected to receive a £4.6m investment to their special educational needs facilities amid “urgent, significant and increasing” demand for new places.

The money will be spent on new facilities at the Fernwood School in Wollaton and Glade Hill Primary School in Bestwood Park.

Nottingham City Council is expected to approve the two projects at an Executive Board meeting on Tuesday, October 22.

In total £1.850m will be spent on new facilities at Glade Hill Primary School, alongside a further £2.750m at Fernwood Secondary School, between 2024 and 2026.

“It is essential there are sufficient local places for the growing number of high needs pupils, to avoid the need to place pupils in costly out-of-area independent provision, while also helping to reduce the resultant requirement for longer distance transport provision,” council documents say.

Under the plans, a new building will be built at Glade Hill Primary School.

It will have enough room for 16 children who have a diagnosis of autistic spectrum condition (ASC), and who find it challenging to learn in whole-class situations in mainstream education.

The single storey unit will consist of two classrooms, a sensory room, additional support areas and an outdoor play area.

“This project represents a significant investment in vulnerable children in the
Bestwood community,” council documents say.

“The new SEN unit will accommodate eight pupils who already attend Glade Hill Primary and have Education Health Care Plans (EHCPs).

“These pupils already access the school’s Enhanced Provision classes. The unit will then also accommodate eight additional children with EHCPs from the local area, with places commissioned by the [local authority].”

The planned opening date for the new facility is November 2025 and extra staff members will be recruited.

A new facility will also be built at the Fernwood School, creating 24 new spaces in Key Stage three and four for pupils living with moderate learning difficulties (MLD) and ASC.

“The specialist base will be a new two-storey building and will consist of
four class bases, a sensory room and a number of additional support areas,” documents add.

“The planned opening date is currently January 2026.”

The projects will be funded through the High Needs Grant and the use of Section 106 contributions, money from which comes from the developers of city schemes to lessen the impact of the development.

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