Selworthy School plans to bid for funds to relocate to the new site and open a brand new school as a free school. They have already been successful in gaining backing from the New Schools Network to progress a bid to central government to enable the project to move forward.
As a result plans for the school have been drawn up for the unused secondary school which will be shown to the public for view and have their say.
Features of the new school will include specialist classrooms with indoor and outdoor learning spaces, a hydrotherapy pool, soft play spaces and a sensory environmental area with wildlife walk.
Selworthy School Headteacher Mark Ruffett said:
“This informal sharing of information marks an important step towards making a new school for families of children with specialist and complex needs a reality. It is well documented that more places are badly needed in this part of Somerset to meet future demand and ease pressure on those families who are currently making difficult journeys to access education.
“With 115 staff and 98 learners at Selworthy every day and a sixth form that have to be bussed to different locations, our current school site is overcrowded. Our drawings and information panels will show for the first time how we plan to make best use of the St Augustine’s site and run a showcase establishment that can adapt to meet a variety of children’s needs.”
A spokesperson for Somerset County Council said:
“Somerset County Council has been supporting Selworthy School with its bid for a new special Free School in Taunton. A new special school would deliver a significant number of additional school places for some of our most vulnerable children and help us to meet demand in the future.”
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