Mansfield: Plans for special educational needs school set for approval

Plans have been brought forward to meet demand, the council said

Plans for a new special educational needs school in Nottinghamshire look set to be approved.

The purpose-built facility on Ravensdale Street, Mansfield, would take up to 160 children between seven and 19 years old.

The scheme, which has been recommended for approval, will go before the county council on Tuesday.

A councillor who campaigned for the school said its approval would be a "fantastic achievement" for the town.

Andre Camilleri said the new site would take pressure off other schools and support children better.

Mr Camilleri, who represents Mansfield South, said: "I have been pushing for this in Mansfield for a long time - I first showed the site to the council two years ago and it has gone from there.

"Mansfield badly needs a facility like this as we have very high levels of SEND (special educational needs and disabilities).

"It will take the pressure off other schools which aren't able to support children with special needs properly.

"It's a fantastic achievement to finally get something like this built."

About 40% of all Nottinghamshire children with SEND live in Mansfield and Ashfield, planning documents said.

The school will take pupils from across the county who have conditions like Autism Spectrum Disorder and other social, emotional and mental health difficulties, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

Officials said the plans had been considered for some time but had been brought forward to meet the demand.

Planning documents said it would provide a "more tailored and inclusive educational system that caters to the diverse learning needs of all students".

The site of the proposed school was previously an annex of Sherwood Hall secondary school, and has been derelict since 2012.

Ollerton was previously earmarked as a potential SEND school location, but the chosen site was found to be contaminated, the LDRS said.