New school for autistic children moves step closer

Funding has been approved to provide more school places for children with complex autism.

Kirklees Council had already agreed that Woodley School and College in Huddersfield would move to a new site in Almondbury that has new facilities and room for expansion.

This week the council rubber-stamped money for the rebuild so that plans could progress to the next stage.

Councillor Jane Rylah said the plans "will increase local capacity and benefit thousands of pupils over many years".

Last summer the council granted planning permission for the new purpose-built school for up to 180 autistic pupils.

The site in Almondbury has already been cleared of existing buildings, and groundworks are being undertaken so that construction can begin later this year.

The council has also appointed a contractor to work towards finalising the design and costs.

It is hoped the move will reduce the need for pupils to travel outside of Kirklees for their education and is part of a wider transformation of local support for those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Alongside Woodley, work is underway to rebuild and relocate Joseph Norton Academy, which supports pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.

Rylah added: "Every council faces challenges with meeting the demand for SEND support, but in Kirklees we are showing our commitment.

"The new schools for both Woodley School and College and Joseph Norton Academy will be fantastic additions to the education landscape.

"They will support pupils to achieve the best possible outcomes and it's really exciting that Woodley is also nearing the point where building work can commence."

The number of children and young people in England with an Education and Healthcare Plan (EHCP) is now 638,745, the highest number since they were introduced a decade ago.

These EHCPs mean councils have a legal duty to meet the child or young person's needs.

But councils across the country have said the central government funding they receive and the rising cost of SEND support have forced local authorities into hundreds of millions of pounds of debt.

The Department of Education is expected to lay out plans for reform of the SEND system in the spring.

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