New classrooms to meet pupil demand at Wolverhampton special education needs school
Two temporary classrooms are to be built at a special education needs (SEND) school in Wolverhampton following an increase in pupil places from 54 to 75.
Broadmeadow Special School in Lansdowne Road, West Park, caters for SEND children aged 3-11, including those with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), severe learning difficulties and physical disabilities.
The proposal is intended to be a temporary solution whilst other options are being explored to further increase capacity beyond 75 pupils, in line with demand. The estimated cost of the work is £800,000.
In a report to council cabinet, head of school business and support services Bill Hague said: “Broadmeadow Special School is currently commissioned for 75 places for children – which is an increase from the original 54 commissioned places – and therefore additional accommodation is required.
“Providing two temporary modular buildings will address the shortage of accommodation in addition to extending the lease agreement so the school can continue to occupy the ground floor of the Whitmore Reans Strengthening Families Hub, which is adjacent to the school.
“Following the Covid pandemic, younger children are presenting with more complex needs and require suitable provision to support their education. The increase in places at Broadmeadow helps cater for this and aligns with Wolverhampton SEND Joint Commissioning Strategy 2022-25,” he added.
Broadmeadow is an academy and became part of the Central Learning Partnership Trust (CLPT) in 2016. In order to supplement existing provisions at the school, the trust has entered into an agreement with the council to lease the ground floor of the Whitmore Reans hub.
The plan is to have one building on the existing car park of Broadmeadow and the other in the grounds of West Park Primary School in the corner of the field. To balance the loss of car parking spaces at Broadmeadow, additional parking will be created adjacent to the West Park school.
Situated in the Park Ward, the school was rated ‘good’ by Ofsted following an inspection in October 2019. The council’s cabinet is due to discuss the proposal next Wednesday.
