Wilmslow High School is planning to build a new Learning Support Centre for students with additional needs, disabilities and special education needs (SEN) on the existing school campus.
Plans include a two storey extension to the existing sixth form teaching block, known as the Pavilion building, to provide a Learning Support Centre and associated soft and hard landscaping works.
The quality of learning for children with special needs and/or disabilities was rated as 'Outstanding' by Ofsted 2011 but as the demand for places within Learning Support has grown so has the number of Learning Support Assistants. Resulting in more students and staff in inadequate accommodation which has culminated in a situation where the quality of provision is now under threat.
The current SEN teaching provision at the site is three classrooms and three support offices located in a 1990's teaching block with no dedicated spaces for specific disability groups, no dedicated staff or student toilets, no refreshment facilities and insufficient staff facilities.
The construction of the new LSC will release three general teaching spaces which will be adapted to provide one additional general teaching classroom, a students services area, eight additional toilets, one disabled/staff toilet and a cleaners store.
The new LSC will provide 547 sqm of dedicated special needs teaching accommodation over two floors which is tailored to the particular needs of the students.
There is no proposal to increase student or staff numbers at the school as a consequence of this development.
Plans for the new can be viewed on the Cheshire East Council website by searching for planning reference 12/2997M.
