Multi-million pound upgrades to Liverpool’s special educational needs schools is to be confirmed by the city council.
In the last four years, the number of children across the city with educational health care plans (EHCPs) has risen by almost 50%, with more than 4,000 young people recorded. In a bid to address the issue, the local authority has developed a series of plans for school expansion.
When it meets for the first time tomorrow, Liverpool Council’s new cabinet will sign off on almost £20m plans to increase funding for a number of revised schemes to ease the burden on school placements. The report is being brought forward due to what a cabinet report described as “the urgency of delivering these projects by September 2023.”
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Hundreds of new places are to be created at a total of four sites in the coming months, including at the former Palmerston School on Beaconsfield Road. The new location will enable 40 spaces at the main site for the start of the new term in September, with a further 75 in a second phase.
A further 60 places will be created at Bank View South from later this year on the site of the former Parklands school in Speke. It had been originally planned to move pupils from Bank View in Fazakerley 14 miles across the city to the new provision, before being shelved in favour of a revised scheme.
The report said: “The project will necessitate the relocation of New Heights to another part of the site and adaptations to ensure the building is suitable for the needs of pupils with complex SEND. The cost for the work is estimated at £4,464,000 plus contingency.”
It was previously agreed to relocate Princess Primary school to a new site due to the poor condition of the existing building and the need to create additional places for pupils with very complex additional needs and disabilities. The project will replace 150 places in the old building and create a further 60 places for primary children with severe and complex needs.
Following allocation of a site, feasibility work has been undertaken with the school to develop their requirements. Liverpool Council is to spend £1.8m to develop the scheme to detailed design.
A satellite school for Millstead Primary in Everton will be based on the site of the former Hope School building on Naylorsfield Drive, Netherley, following a lengthy consultation. From September, subject to cabinet approval, a two-phased approach will create 30 new places for the upcoming school year, with 30 more to cater for predicted future increases in pupil numbers.
The report said: “Design development with the school and the design team has progressed well but detailed building surveys have shown that the building is in worse condition than initially thought. This has resulted in increased refurbishment costs as the roof needs replacing and an extended construction period.
“To ensure that the places are available for the start of the academic year temporary modular accommodation will be used for the first term to supplement the main building whilst building work is completed.” It is anticipated costs will come to around £4.7m.
Assessment by council officers within the report said given the costs of not delivering the projects, should the Department for Education’s capital funding not be enough, the city council should use prudential borrowing to secure delivery. The plans are expected to be signed off tomorrow evening.
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