Special needs plan at former school building
A former school in Sunderland could become a support base for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) under new £1.4million refurbishment plans.
Earlier this year, Sunderland City Council leaders revealed plans to use the former Springwell Dene School to support pupil referral unit places (PRU) in the city.
A PRU unit provides services for pupils who are unable to attend a mainstream school or special schools in the area.
The council’s cabinet have now backed plans to revamp the derelict buildings – off Swindon Road – which returned to council ownership in April.
City leaders plan to amalgamate three existing PRU units Sunderland into a single body based at the new site.
Refurbishment works will now go ahead at the school site, including a new sports pitch, revised ICT systems, improved kitchen and dining facilities and seperate entrances for different age groups.
The project will cost £1.068million with an extra £177,000 needed for ICT systems and £180,000 for fixtures and equipment.
The potential PRU merger – which includes moving provision from Sunderland’s Tudor Grove centre the Springwell by September 2019 – will be subject to consultation.
Cabinet member for children, learning and skills, Louise Farthing, presenting the report to cabinet, said the changes would see the creation of a single management committee for the new centre.
She said: “The benefits of this will also include efficiency in commissioning, consistency in management across all age ranges, the ability to more effectively share resources across all key stages and effective peer review.”
Sunderland’s PRU is currently organised as three separate provisions including key stage one – five to seven-year-olds – key stage two and three and – seven to 14-year-olds – and key stage four – 14 to 16-year-olds.
Services for younger age groups are provided at the Tudor Grove Centre in Portland Road while Key Stage 4 is delivered from the Pallion Centre.
If merger plans are approved, the vacant Tudor Grove site will be declared surplus to educational requirements with an estimated cost of half a million pounds, a report states.
It says, if the land is sold, the cash will be used to offset costs associated with the refurbishment.
Consultation findings are expected to return to council bosses in March for decision.
City leaders plan to amalgamate three existing units