Groundbreaking service for school’s special unit
WORK has started on a new £5 million special school on a greenfield site in Hinckley.
The centre, near the junction of Barwell Lane and Harwood Drive, will provide a state-of-the-art facility to replace Dorothy Goodman’s outdated upper school.
Borough councillors approved the project in December despite local resistance over the use of the site, which is opposite Swallows Green park and was previously earmarked for community use.
An action group was established citing concerns about traffic, noise, parking problems and impact on the environment among others.
However, while there were 90 letters of objection the council received 67 letters from people in favour of the proposals.
With a groundbreaking ceremony completed it is thought build time for the school will be about a year.
Attending the celebratory event were representatives from the school and companies involved with its construction, including Midlands based main contractor G F Tomlinson and construction partners Grayling Thomas Architects, Ian Harban Consulting Engineers and Hadland Manning Bullock.
Janet Thompson, headteacher at Dorothy Goodman, said: “I am delighted work has started on our new building, which will be an excellent additional resource for the school.
“It has been designed to include specialist rooms that will support the pupils’ education and provide a broad range of activities to support their development.
“Everyone at the school is very excited work has started on the site.”
The new school will cater for up to 100 11 to 19 year-olds, an increase in places of more than 30 on the current complex at Middlefield Lane, which has been described as having insufficient space and limited facilities.
The replacement will feature nine classrooms and three specialist teaching areas along with a multiuse games area for such sports as football, basketball and netball as well as school playgrounds.
Janet added: “We support our pupils by not only teaching skills, such as reading and writing in a classroom environment, but also by showing them how to carry out everyday tasks including cooking and gardening.
“Speech therapy, physiotherapy, sensory spaces along with soft play areas and music sessions are also offered to pupils to provide them with an enjoyable yet practical experience at Dorothy Goodman.
“Our school is a lifeline for many families in the Hinckley area and the new building will be an important addition to the community which will enhance local children’s education and social skills even further.”
Dorothy Goodman is a Specialist School which caters for its 270 pupils aged between three and 19 years with a wide range of learning disabilities.
To meet the diverse needs of pupils, teaching is provided across its two main sites.
The lower school at Stoke Road and upper at Middlefield Lane, and three satellite units within local mainstream schools.