Plans approved for new SEN classroom

Plans for a new Special Educational Needs (SEN) classroom at a Surrey school have been given the go-ahead.

Surrey County Council (SCC) said the development at St John the Baptist School in Woking would provide education to 30 autistic students, aged 11-16 within the local and surrounding area.

High numbers of children with additional needs and disabilities have to travel long distances to attend schools which meet their requirements, according to council documents.

The county council hopes that placing a new SEN unit in Woking will give residents with autistic children closer access to specialist provision and cut journey times.

The scheme includes a standalone, single-storey building located next to the arts block, along with 37 parking and bicycle spaces.

The new building is proposed to be behind the main school on the right-hand side, in between the football pitch and the rest of the playing field, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Although the classroom would be built on a playing field, on green belt land, councillors at a planning regulatory committee agreed that very special circumstances meant the development could go ahead.

Surrey has seen significant growth in the number of children with SEN, with a long-term gap for specialist school places in Woking and north-west Surrey, according to planning documents.

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