First intake for £1m special needs centre
The first pupils have been welcomed to a new £1 million special needs centre which is the first of its kind in the county.
The Special Educational Needs hub at Lakelands Academy in Ellesmere will accommodate up to 24 children who have communication and interaction difficulties.
Seven pupils have now started at the centre with another seven due to join in September.
The new building, which has been called the Kettlemere Centre, features four teaching areas and multimedia, therapy and meeting rooms. It has been built as Shropshire previously had very limited provision for pupils with communication and interaction difficulties.
Until now, these children often had to be placed out of county or travel considerable distances to access suitable schools.
Work on the Kettlemere Centre began in October 2014. It has been designed to be operated as an independent unit, and as such has its own drop-off area and entrance.
However, it also links to the main academy building so opportunities are provided to allow integration of the pupils with the rest of the school.
The centre has been funded by Shropshire Council's capital programme. The council says the operating costs will be funded in the long term through the reduction in expensive out-of-county placements.
Ann Hartley, Shropshire Council's cabinet member for children's services, said: "I'm delighted that the Kettlemere Centre has welcomed its first pupils. This new centre will offer a number of benefits. It will improve provision for children within the communities in which they live while reducing the significant cost to the council of placing pupils in out-of-county provision.
"This means that children can go to schools close to their friends and family."
Garry Dean, head of the Kettlemere Centre, said: "The success of a project like this is down to the collaborative working of many different groups of people at every stage."
