WORK will start next month on building much-needed new classrooms at a special needs school to help tackle the growing demand for places.
Lancaster School in Prittlewell Chase, Westcliff have confirmed they plan to appoint contractors to build three new classrooms to provide more places for SEN students on February 7, with work planned to begin on February 24.
This comes after the school’s plans to convert a former dining hall and kitchen into three new classrooms, along with the construction of a new single-storey extension, were approved by Southend Council in October.
Headteacher Tom Jackson-Owens confirmed the first phase of the works are expected to be complete halfway through the summer holidays, while the works should be finished by the end of September.
He said: “Increasing the capacity of special schools in Southend would be very important, the need in Westcliff, in Essex, and nationally, is essential. There is a shortage of special school places.
“There are children in our area, and across the country, who don’t have school to go to.
“The classrooms are being built where the current hall and kitchen are, we have a multi-use hall being built in the playground. All of this is to increase our capacity.
“We have 160 pupils on our roll when we had 77 six years ago. There are still children who are not getting places in special schools, even though we have grown this much.
“It’s very important these spaces are made available, there is what government ministers are describing as a ‘crisis for SEN’, what our Trust is doing is trying to alleviate that crisis.”
The school’s extension will help create a purpose-built multi-use hall and music room.
Its new multi-use hall will provide communal space, allowing the school to hold assemblies and provide on-site dining.
Lancaster School falls under the SEN Trust Southend umbrella, with the trust also operating St Christopher School in Leigh, St Nicholas School in Southend, and Kingsdown School in Westcliff.
Southend Council also gave plans to bring in four new classrooms at St Christopher School the greenlight in December.
Speaking at the time, headteacher Dan Woodman said the work would not lead to an increase in the number of pupils, but instead allow for specialist support for those in need.
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