THE CONTRACTORS for a new £6.25million special school in Oldham have been announced.
Oldham Council and sponsors New Bridge School have chosen Extraspace Solutions (UK) ltd to build the new facility for 140 pupils at the former Kaskenmoor site at Hollinwood.
Extraspace will now begin work designing the school, with construction due to begin towards the end of 2014.
The new school will include a specialist design and resources to deliver the best possible education for four to 19-year-olds with Autistic Spectrum Disorder.
Included in the new school there will also be a sports hall that will be shared with the community outside of school hours.
Training shops will also be available to help students find employment once they have left school.
The school will be built next to the existing New Bridge School, meaning staff from New Bridge will be able to provide guidance at the new complex once it is open.
Money for the new special school has been provided by the Department for Education after Oldham Council successfully applied for funding.
Expected to open in September 2015, the facility will add to Oldham’s three existing special schools at Springbrook, Kingfisher and New Bridge.
Councillor Amanda Chadderton, Oldham Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and Safeguarding, said: “We are delighted work will soon be starting on the new special school.
“This is the culmination of a lot of hard work that has gone on behind the scenes over many months. We pride ourselves on having the right educational provisions – none more so than in our special schools.
“This new school is fantastic news for local parents and families and it will improve our local education offer.
“This school will increase opportunities for children and young people from early years, into further and higher education and into employment.”
New Bridge was selected by the Department for Education from a shortlist of four candidates to run the school due to its excellent provision of teaching for children with special educational needs and was rated ‘outstanding’ in its most recent Ofsted.
Graham Quinn, Principal of New Bridge School, said: “It is such an amazing time to be involved in leading schools. We all feel so privileged.
“Our successful bid to design, build and operate a new school was all about offering choice and diversity for Oldham young people and their families.
“We will develop the new provision, in partnership with other Oldham schools, to ensure outstanding outcomes for the children.
“By bringing together key organisations, and through engagement with the Oldham Learning Co-operative Partnership, the new school will benefit from dynamic teams, innovative practice and pioneering methods.
“We are excited by the prospect of delivering a state-of-the-art school that will complement and support the already outstanding provision for children and young people in Oldham.”
Oldham Council recently set up an Education and Skills Commission, chaired by former Education Secretary, Estelle Morris, to help raise local standards and aspirations so every child can achieve their full potential.
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