Plans for city SEND school approved

Plans for a school in Hull for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have been approved.

Hull City Council said the Willowfield SEND Free School will have spaces for 125 pupils and create 100 jobs on a site east of the existing Frederick Holmes School on Inglemire Lane.

The plans were passed by the council's planning committee with building to begin later this year, subject to final approval by the Department for Education (DfE).

Councillor Linda Tock, the council's portfolio holder for children's services, said every child in Hull was "entitled to an education in an environment that enables them to maximise their learning".

Plans for the school were announced in 2019 with an allocated budget of £19.6m, but were hit by a series of delays.

The council said the new school would allow more children in Hull with specialist needs to receive an education closer to home, which would result in reduced travelling time.

The school will feature a mix of classrooms, specialist teaching and therapy spaces, including a hydrotherapy school.

Parking will include dedicated vehicle and pedestrian access from Inglemire Lane with accessible spaces, electric-vehicle charging points and a minibus drop-off area within the site.

The council said Frederick Holmes School and Platform Daycare Centre would remain open throughout the building work.

Willowfield SEND Free School will be delivered by the council in partnership with Hull Esteem LEP, with funding from the DfE.

Tock said: "It demonstrates the commitment both the council and Humber Education Trust have to driving forward inclusive practice and widening opportunities for children and young people with the most complex needs."

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