Plans for new SEND primary school approved

Part of a former academy will be knocked down to build a new primary school for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Lincolnshire County Council approved proposals to partially demolish the old Earl of Dysart School, on Dysart Road, in Grantham.

The new primary school will have eight classrooms and capacity to teach up to 96 pupils with moderate and severe learning difficulties.

The council, which owns the land, said the development was part of its wider ambition to tackle the growing demand for specialist school places in the area.

The Earl of Dysart School, which became an academy, closed in 2014.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the authority said the existing buildings were ageing and no longer fit for purpose, so some would be demolished and the others refurbished.

Specialist classrooms, sensory rooms, a sensory garden and soft play areas will be developed, as well as a new access road with dedicated drop-off points and increased parking.

The new primary school will share sports and play areas with the Newton Bridge Academy SEND secondary school next door.

In a joint statement, Lincolnshire County Council and Wates Construction Ltd said: "The proposed development will deliver enhanced specialist teaching and support accommodation to meet the identified and growing need for SEND provision in Grantham.

"On completion, the new school will accommodate primary-aged pupils, with Newton Bridge Academy operating solely as a secondary school."

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