A new all-age special school could be built in Staffordshire, to help more children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities get support closer to home.
Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet will be asked to approve £28.6 million to deliver two new education projects: a special school in Rugeley and a primary Pupil Referral Unit in Stafford.
Both projects are to be funded from the “High Needs Provision Capital Allocation” (HNPCA) government grant.
Families can have their say to shape plans for the school. An initial consultation on the new special school is already open, and will close on 17 July.
If approved, the new special school would be built on the former Hagley Park Academy site in Rugeley. It would support boys and girls from reception age to secondary school who have Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs and Autism Spectrum Condition.
Once fully open, it would provide around 180 places and is expected to open in September 2029, subject to the usual approvals and consultation.
The school would help meet growing need for specialist education in Staffordshire and mean more children can learn in their own county, instead of travelling further afield.
Councillor Janet Higgins, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and SEND, said:
“We want every child with SEND to get the right support at the right time, as close to home as possible.
“These new places will help more children and young people get the right help earlier, in the right setting, so they can settle, make progress and thrive.
“For families, it means better local support and more confidence that their child can get the education and care that is right for them.”
The funding would also support a new primary Pupil Referral Unit in Stafford, providing up to 16 places for children who need extra help outside mainstream school.
This would be a new unit to support primary-aged children in the centre and north of the county, providing support to help them return to mainstream education where this is right for them.
The plans are part of the county council’s work to create more local education places for children and young people with SEND and those who need alternative provision.
Cabinet will meet to discuss the proposals on 15 July.
