New bid for special educational needs school in Willenhall to 'prepare kids for modern life'
A new special educational needs school could be coming to Willenhall preparing pupils for ‘life in modern Britain’.
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Wellbrook Education plans to open its second school facility on the outskirts of the town at 6-11 Riley Street.
Wellbrook Education’s existing school in Derbyshire provides a bespoke curriculum for pupils aged nine to 16 who have a diagnosis of autism or social and mental health needs.
Like the existing school, the new one in Willenhall will be maintained by the local authority, Walsall Council.
Wellbrook Education has proposed no physical alterations to the existing three-storey office block, which was last used as offices for Curian Medical.
For this reason, the school may not need approval from Walsall Council under permitted development.
Once Wellbrooke Education has confirmation from the council that it would qualify for permitted development, the next steps would be to get the site approved for use as a school by the Department for Education, which must notify the council of the proposed opening date of the school.
Under permitted development, the school can only open for a period of up to two years before it must either get planning permission from the council to stay as a school, or without the permission it must return to its original approved use as offices.
