Further details emerge for £30m specialist school near Harborough, offering about 250 places

Leicestershire County Council has put forward its application to build a new £30 million special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) school on land at Kilworth Road near Husbands Bosworth.

Talking about the plans when they were announced earlier this year, assistant director of education, inclusion and additional needs at Leicestershire County Council, Tim Browne, said the development would help plug the gap for SEND students in the county who are in desperate need of a placement.

Now, Leicestershire County Council has submitted detailed plans for the two storey SEND school building.

Documents note the school is planned to provide 252 places for ambulant pupils with special educational needs, from primary school age four to 19. Some 100 support staff would be employed at the school.

Plans reveal that the school will be arranged in zones depicting arrival, teaching and outdoor play.

Alongside the classrooms, detailed floor plans include sensory rooms, soft play, therapy room, main hall, science laboratory, art room, calm rooms, libraries, ICT room and a sixth form social room.

External facilities include play areas, sports pitches, and a multi-use games area.

Documents note there is an expectation that the majority of pupils and staff will arrive at the school by vehicle and the access and car park has been designed to accommodate traffic flows at the beginning and end of the school day.

A total of 100 staff parking spaces will be available in the main car parking area, with visitor, minibus and accessible parking provision also available, plus a total of 11 spaces for parent drop off.

The application states that the car park will also provide wider roadways to allow for minibuses dropping off/picking up pupils.

In addition, the application states that the school site will provide opportunities for the local community to access the facilities during out of hours, including sports pitches, and the multi use games area. This may also be extended to the use of the larger indoor facilities, for example, the sports hall, it adds.

Announcing the update on the Leicestershire County Council’s Facebook Page, councillor Charles Pugsley, Leicestershire County Council cabinet member for children and families, said he was “delighted and excited” the council was looking to build a brand new specialist SEND school in the Harborough District.

Cllr Pugsley said: “For too long now, this part of Leicestershire has had no specialist provision at all and children and families have gone without the local places that they need.

“We’re determined to put this right. That’s why we’re investing £30m in a purpose built school, delivering 250 much needed places.”

A decision is expected to be made on the plans by Tuesday, September 1.