Harrogate: Council to consult on plans for special school

The special school would be built on the site of the former Woodfield Community Primary School

A council is to ask for views on plans for a new school in Harrogate, catering for autistic children.

North Yorkshire Council said it would begin "stakeholder consultations" later this month for a school on the site of the former Woodfield Community Primary.

A total of £3.5 million has been earmarked to allow potential upgrading of the site.

Up to 80 pupils aged between 11 and 19 would attend the school, the council said.

Councillor Annabel Wilkinson, the authority's executive member for education, learning and skills, said the facility would "help meet a rising demand" for special school places in Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ripon and the surrounding area.

Since 2016, the number of children in North Yorkshire with identified special educational needs and disability (SEND) and a legally-binding education, health and care plan (EHCP) has increased by more than 110%, according to the council.

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An additional 350 SEND school places will be required over the next three to five years, the council said.

Ms Wilkinson said 432 children, with "the primary need of autism", were currently attending special schools in North Yorkshire, adding: "We are committed to providing further support."

She said the new school would provide families with "a more local offer of provision than is currently available without significant travel".

Woodfield Community Primary School closed in December after years of falling pupil numbers and an "inadequate" rating by Ofsted.

Officials believe the site is suitable for a new special school due to its layout and central position in the county.

A six-week consultation begins on 12 June. If agreed, the new school could open as early as September 2024.

There are no planned changes to the community library and children's centre on the same site, the council said.