Dec 18, 2024, Star: £2.5m [$3.1M] for 35 more places at school for youngsters with special educational needs
N. England
A £2.5m [$3.1M] grant will be used to create 35 new places at a school for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Rotherham. Newman School in Whiston is projected to expand from its current 160 pupils to 195, as demand for SEND places grows.
School bosses hope to expand the current facilities, and will submit a planning application to construct a new secondary block on the main Whiston site, and refurbish a Grade II listed building.
It is expected that the application will be submitted towards the end of 2025, with a proposed start date for works to begin around September 2026.
Due to the ‘poor condition’ of the current Newman Additional Resource Building, the proposal includes its demolition to make way for new facilities.
The cash has come from the Department for Education’s “Safety Valve” funding, which helps councils ensure there are enough school places and resources for children with SEND.
The council say that by not investing in SEND provision, more young people with SEND would have to use schools out of the borough, at a high cost to RMBC. . . .
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