New school is set to move into former junior and infants site
A NEW school for pupils with complex educational needs is set to open on the site of the former North Reddish Junior and Infant Schools.
Reddish Hall School will cater for pupils aged five to 18 with a variety of educational, communication or behavioural needs.
The new school, which will be run by the Acorn Care and Education group, is set to open this autumn, subject to approval from Ofsted.
The school will be open to pupils who have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties, as well as conditions such as ADHD, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, and Foetal Alcohol Syndrome, amongst others.
Work is now ongoing on the Grade II listed buildings, on Longford Road, which have stood empty since the school was closed in 2011, as part of changes to primary school provision.
They were sold in July 2013 by Stockport Council for £205,000, to a property developer in Birmingham.
Just months later however, the developer put the buildings back on the market for a combined cost of more than £700,000.
It it not clear what price the buildings have now been subsequently sold for.
A spokeswoman for Acorn said the school’s war memorial will be properly preserved and the organisation also plans to hold open days for the community, so they can find out more information.
Mike Stobart, the head teacher of Acorn’s Belmont School in Rawtenstall, will become the school’s executive principal, while Chris Newiss, Belmont’s deputy head, will become head of the new school.
Mr Stobart said: “I moved into SEBD teaching because it’s incredibly rewarding to get the best from these young people who have perhaps historically failed in their previous educational placements and to allow them to experience success.
“We aim to develop children and young people as individuals and have a very high success rate in terms of pupil outcomes, academically, socially and emotionally.
“All of our pupils receive intensive careers guidance and, on reaching school leaving age, move on into further education, direct employment or employment with training.
“We also track our pupil’s chosen career pathways for two years on leaving school.”