Halesowen school submits application for new teaching block
A planning application has been submitted to Dudley Council concerning a new teaching block at a Halesowen school which deals with children with complex needs.
Halesbury Special School predominantly caters for pupils with complex needs of ASD, Language and Social Communication as well as Cognition and Learning.
The school is fully subscribed and there is little space for providing the specialist learning that is required and recommended by The Department for Education.
In 2011 two modular classroom units were added providing a total of four additional classrooms, these were located within the playground area but did not have access to toilets, pupils must be supervised when walking across the playground to the main school building. Inclement weather is problematic. The modular buildings are coming to the end of their useful life and funds are in place to replace these with a more permanent building linked to the school and providing toilet and changing facilities
The planning application states: "The new building will comprise of six classrooms. One of the additional classrooms will be slightly larger and will be used for specialist teaching, and a further classroom used to compensate for the loss of a room within the main school, this is to be converted to a muchneeded staffroom facility.
"The building will include three small break-out rooms for one to one or small group teaching, these are important spaces that are well underprovided within the existing school. There will be specialist changing facilities and toilets for pupils and staff."
