Work starts on new special educational needs centre in Ellesmere
Building work has started on The Kettlemere Centre at the Lakelands Academy in Ellesmere, which will provide specialist teaching facilities for up to 24 children whose primary need is communication and interaction.
Karen Bradshaw, Director of children’s services at Shropshire Council today (Wednesday 1 October) cut the first turf for the new building, which will provide a special educational needs centre for secondary–age pupils.
Building work is due to be completed by mid-March 2015, and the Centre is set to open to pupils from the start of the 2015 summer term.
Shropshire currently has very limited specialist teaching provision to support pupils with communications and interaction difficulties, and it is an area of special needs with significantly increasing numbers.
At present, these children often have to be placed out of county or travel considerable distances to access suitable provision.
The new Centre, funded by Shropshire Council’s capital programme will cost in the region of £1 million. The operating costs will be funded in the long-term through the reduction in expensive out-of-county placements.
Karen Bradshaw, Director of Children’s services said:
“This new centre will offer a number of benefits. It will improve localised provision for children within the communities in which they live, helping to meet their needs while reducing the significant cost to the Council of placing pupils in costly out-of-county provision. This means that children can go to schools close to their friends and family.
“The Lakelands Academy has an excellent record of supporting pupils with Special Educational Needs. Careful consideration has been given as to how the centre will become part of the school, offering mainstream access where appropriate, rather than being a separate facility placed on the school site.”
Shropshire Council is keen to develop this provision of localised support for pupils with special educational needs, and its impact on students and their families, to inform the future strategic roll-out of this specialist provision in other locations across the county.
Further information
The Kettlemere Centre is designed to be operated as an independent unit, and as such has its own drop-off area and entrance. However, it also links to the main academy building so opportunities are provided to allow integration of the pupils with the rest of the school.
Internally the centre will essentially comprise of four teaching areas, accessed from a central communal space. Apart from the classroom there will be ancillary accommodation such as a multimedia room and therapy room along with an office, meeting room, toilets, storage and an external space for outdoor activities.
