Nearly £2 million will be spent on improvements at three Nottingham schools to make them more "inclusive" of those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Refurbishing buildings and expanding others are among the projects which aim to provide "continuity and stability" for children and young people with SEND, as well as their families.
The Nethergate Academy, the Djanogly Strelley Primary Academy and the Whitemoor Primary Academy are the schools where money will be spent. The projects overall will cost £1.925 million, with funding primarily coming from a Government grant.
Nethergate Academy will have £400,000 spent on it, with the school set to be refurbished and reconfigured so a new base can be provided for six autistic pupils, aged between seven and 10 years old. The project at Djanogly Strelley will also cost £400,000, with additional funding from Section 106 agreements being used for this work.
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Finally, an initial £750,000 will be spent at Whitemoor, where capacity will be increased to meet the needs of SEND children. Some of the income from Nottingham City Council's sale of its Thorneywood site will be used for this work.
All the projects were approved at a meeting of Nottingham City Council's Executive Board on Tuesday (June 20). Councillor Cheryl Barnard, Portfolio Holder for Children, Young People and Education, said: "We want our schools to be inclusive and understand the need for pupils with special educational needs or disabilities to remain with their peers wherever possible.
"This provides continuity and stability for them and their families, while ensuring they remain with their classmates and friends. The plans for Nethergate are slightly different in that they will further increase capacity at one of the city's dedicated special schools.
"I'm really pleased that we've been able to approve this important funding today and I look forward to seeing these projects evolve in the coming months to support all Nottingham children in their education journeys."
