SEND school unveils major expansion plans

A school in Nottinghamshire which caters for pupils with special needs has published plans to more than double in size.

Foxwood Academy, which currently has about 110 pupils, wants to expand its capacity by 150, using adjacent land where Bramcote Secondary School used to stand.

Head teacher James Hutchinson said the spaces were needed to cope with surging demand for SEND places.

The £25m plan is out for consultation, with a formal application expected in October and a planned opening date of September 2027.

Foxwood currently has approximately 60 members of staff and caters for students from four to 18 years old.

The site of Bramcote Secondary School has been empty since its derelict buildings were demolished after a fire in 2021.

The site is also close to Bramcote Leisure Centre and Bramcote Hills Primary school.

Mr Hutchinson said: "There is a real need for spaces for children with additional needs in the county, we need to increase provision to meet that need.

"Currently we are spending around £35m a year, roughly on local council maintained schools and another £35m on independent provision, so that's a lot of money".

The project will create a dedicated secondary school, with the current building becoming solely a primary.

Mr Hutchinson said: "This will allow us to focus on powerfully meeting the needs of of the children in the different settings.

"For example, if you have an educational health care plan, a learning difficulty in Nottinghamshire, your chance of getting paid employment is about 1.5%.

"So a new build with specially built vocational resources allows us to try and tackle that figure.

"It also allows us to teach a focussed curriculum around preparation for adulthood."

Mr Hutchinson said the bulk of the cost would come from the insurance payout related to the secondary school fire.

Details of the exhibition and proposals will remain available for comment until 25 July.

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