£900,000 boost for special schools

A £900,000 funding boost from the Government has enabled Warrington Borough Council to invest more money in its state-of-the-art education site for children and young people with special needs.
Spending on the development, on the site of the former Woolston High School site on Holes Lane will now reach £6 million.
Original plans to relocate Fox Wood and Green Lane special schools on the Woolston site will go ahead, but the funding boost means the schools will have the benefit of more new facilities.
The schools will remain independent of each other, but will share unprecedented access to a breadth of specialist teaching, learning, therapy and leisure facilities some of which will be purpose built to meet the children’s needs.
One existing building will also be refitted to accommodate a brand new post-16 education centre for young people with special needs, the first of its kind in Warrington.
Ultimately the new centre will allow more 16-25 year olds with special needs the chance to continue their education in the town.
Cllr Colin Froggatt (pictured), the borough council’s executive member for children and young people’s services said: “We are delighted to have the funding to allow us to improve on our original plans for the Woolston High School land, which have been welcomed by pupils, teachers and parents alike.
“The new site will be a great asset to the town and provide a flexible, modern and streamlined approach to special needs education.”
The post-16 education centre is due to open its doors for the first time in September, while Fox Wood and Green Lane are set for completion next year.
Work is due to start on the site within the next few weeks.
Nearby residents will be invited to view the site plans at Woolston Community Hub at a special drop-in session at the end of the month.