Plans submitted for delayed school for SEND pupils

Plans for a school for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have been submitted by a council.

The Willowfield SEND Free School would have space for 125 pupils on a site east of the existing Frederick Holmes School on Inglemire Lane in Hull.

The planned school was first announced in 2019 with an allocated budget of £19.6m but it has been hit by a series of delays.

Councillor Linda Tock, of Hull City Council, said: "This is an exciting project that would go some way to providing much‑needed additional SEND provision in the city."

The authority previously said costs had risen to £25.6m and the £6m shortfall would be split equally by council funding and the Department for Education.

Construction work was due to start at the site on Inglemire Lane in 2025, with an expected completion date of November 2026.

If plans are approved, the facility would provide education for learners aged four to 19 with severe physical and learning difficulties.

The new facility would include a mixture of classrooms, specialist teaching and therapy spaces, and a hydrotherapy pool.

There would also be new hard and soft play areas and accessible parking spaces.

The council said both Frederick Holmes School and Platform Daycare Centre would remain open throughout construction.

The Humber Education Trust would work in partnership with the local authority to run the school, which is being funded by the Department for Education.

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