By Andrew Topping, Local Democracy Reporter
Part of a Mansfield school will be leased to a separate education trust so the buildings can be used as a ‘satellite’ site for children with special educational needs.
T.E.A.M. Education Trust has been granted the lease for two buildings at King Edward School, in Littleworth, to bring the SEND provision forwards.
It’s part of a wider ‘satellite school’ scheme being led by Nottinghamshire County Council to increase the number of specialist school places available across the county.
It will be led by Stubbin Wood School, Shirebrook, which is part of the education trust.
The plans are expected to increase Stubbin Wood’s SEND capacity by 24 places.
A separate lease for the two buildings has been agreed upon between the council and the trust, and both will be refurbished.
The trust is also expected to carry out minor improvements including IT cabling and audio-visual equipment, with Stubbin Woods to have exclusive use of several rooms.
The remainder of the school site will continue to be used by King Edward School and some corridors and sensory rooms will have shared use between the two providers.
The new lease was approved last week during a delegated decision by Matthew Neal, the council’s service director for investment and growth.
His decision will be implemented and become effective on Friday (November 18).
In a report, Neil Gamble, the authority’s property asset manager, said: “Part of King Edward School has been identified as being suitable for the provision of a satellite SEND school and works are being undertaken to make the spaces suitable for this purpose.
“It is proposed that this will be run by Stubbin Wood School which is part of T.E.A.M. Education Trust and extend its capacity to 194, which represents an increase of 24 places.
“The remaining part of the buildings would continue to be used by King Edward School as existing.”
Council statements in March last year, when the satellite school plans were first approved, said adapting the buildings and providing the new facility was expected to cost about £300,000.
The cost of providing the extra 24 primary-aged primary places was about £600,000, the authority said.
A council spokesperson added: “It will mean that we can continue to increase the number of specialist school places available in Nottinghamshire, to meet growing demand.
“We have a duty to provide a sufficient number of school places, to offer high-quality teaching and learning to children and young people across the county.”
