Special school to expand

Monday, 5 December 2022 07:25

By David Murphy

Plans to extend Millwood School will provide places for an extra 50 young people with special educational needs.

Millwood is a primary special school for pupils aged 2-11 with very complex medical needs; severe learning difficulties and delays; autism; challenging behaviour; epilepsy; communication difficulties; sensory and multi-sensory impairments.

The school is currently undergoing repairs, including major work to replace the roof, and council leaders say this is the perfect opportunity to expand provision at the school.

The proposal is set to be agreed by members of the council’s cabinet at its meeting next Wednesday (14 Dec).

The school comprises a central hub, three teaching wings and a hydrotherapy pool. Due to increased demand for specialist provision, additional capacity was created in 2019 through a small extension, and Millwood now has 161 pupils on roll. However, continuing demand pressures means that further additional specialist capacity needs to be created at the school.

Work to repair the roof over the hydrotherapy pool started in May 2022 and should be completed by December. The next phase of works to the main hub, which includes the main entrance, offices, kitchen, hall, and theatre has now commenced.

Temporary accommodation is being provided on site to enable the school to remain operational throughout the repair programme.

Councillor Lucy Smith, cabinet member for children and young people, said: “We have developed ambitious plans to transform our arrangements in respect of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). This includes an extensive programme to deliver increased capacity of high quality, local specialist provision.

“There is a shortage of maintained specialist provision in Bury to meet the needs of our population, and this proposal will help to address that.”