New special educational needs school looks set to open in Walsall
A new special educational needs (SEN) school looks set to open in Walsall on the site of a newly closed campus.
Witherslack Group has put forward a proposal to Walsall Council planners take over the former Abu Bakr Girls School on the corner of Scarborough Road and Ida Road.
If agreed, work will include the part demolition of a rear building to allow for a revised car park, a new multi use games area (MUGA), removal of temporary external classrooms as well as landscaping.
The campus closed at the end of the summer term last month with Abu Bakr Girls School relocating to a new site in Wednesbury Road.
The building opened in 1930 as the Edward Shelley School before later becoming an Annexe for Alumwell School. It has also previously been used as a Walsall College campus.
Witherslack said the new SEN school will cater for primary and secondary age children.
They said: “Witherslack Group are the UK’s leading provider of specialist education and care for young people with a range of special needs including, communication difficulties (such as autistic spectrum conditions, Asperger’s Syndrome, speech, language and communication needs) and other complex learning needs.
“Witherslack’s objective is simple – to provide high quality, specialist education and care which is underpinned by generous staffing ratios.
“Achieving this objective, Witherslack enables vulnerable young people to maximise their potential both in early and later stages of life.
“The work undertaken has been well recognised by Ofsted, with the Group consistently rated as the highest independent SEN provider.
“For over 30 years, Witherslack has built and operated independent specialist schools, children’s homes, and vocational training centres across the UK.
“The Group currently operates 29 schools, 24 children’s homes, three vocational training centres and seven integrated learning centres (and) provide care and education to over 1,600 young people and employ more than 2,000 members of staff.
“The new SEN school would be separated into primary and secondary provision each with their own areas for teaching and external play space.
“The existing school is tired and in need of significant modernisation works – this includes for the purpose of this application, improved boundary treatment, revised parking layouts, a new MUGA and soft and hard landscaping.
“To facilitate these works, a small single storey building to the rear and outbuilding will require demolition.”
Walsall Council planning officers are expected to make a decision on the school later this month.
