Special school safety work worth £900k approved

An Ofsted inspection last year described the running of Woodeaton Manor School as "chaotic"

Work worth £900,000 will be carried out at a special school after issues were found by inspectors.

Woodeaton Manor School, near Oxford, was found to be "chaotic" during an Ofsted inspection in October 2023, and it is understood a monitoring visit by the watchdog took place there weeks ago.

Oxfordshire County Council said fire doors would be replaced throughout the school, as well as other "fire safety improvements to meet the latest legislative standards".

Work on "suitable perimeter fencing" and new entrance gates have been commissioned and could be completed by March 2025, an authority spokesperson said.

The council said there was a risk that the school would not be able to operate at full capacity if the improvements were not made.

It is a day and residential school for children with autism and severe social and emotional needs.

It was oversubscribed with 92 pupils, aged between seven and 18, at the start of the year.

The school's board of governors resigned in December. A headteacher and new interim board have since been appointed.

The decision to fund the work at the school was taken by the county council's executive director of resources, Lorna Baxter.

She took the decision because of the "short timescales required", and because a report, that could have taken several months, would have taken too long.