Special educational needs plan for former school

The Studio School was based at the former East Cowes Primary School

A former school building could be brought back into use in new plans to increase school places for children with special educational needs.

Isle of Wight Council wants to enlarge St George’s School, a special school for 11 to 19-year-olds with complex learning difficulties.

It plans to do so by creating a "satellite" at the former Studio School in East Cowes.

The authority’s new education access and inclusion director, Naomi Carter, said it was going to increase specialist provision across the island.

Another plan is to double the number of places at Greenmount Primary School for autistic children, from six to 12.

In 2014 the Studio School opened in the former East Cowes Primary school, on Grange Road, but closed after five years due to low numbers.

St George’s school currently has the capacity for 188 pupils at its base on Watergate Road, Newport.

The council is proposing to increase this to 208, with 20 pupils taught in new facilities at the former Studio School.

It’s part of an agreement with the Department for Education that aims to clear £12.7m of education spending debt.

The two projects could cost an estimated £230,000, but the council hopes in the long-term they would reduce costs.

Ms Carter said there would be a phased programme of increasing places, “as the council cannot carry on with the amount it spends on educating”.