Special school to open in 2013

A NEW £4.7 million special school for some of the borough’s most troubled pupils will move a step closer tomorrow.

Councillors will be asked to approve the start of formal consultation on the facility for children with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD).

It will open at the current South Chadderton School site in September 2013 as part of Oldham’s £230 million Building Schools for the Future overhaul of secondary education.

South Chadderton is being merged with Kaskenmoor School in a new academy run by a sponsor at Brook Mill, Waterhead.

Pupils who have a BESD statement currently attend Oldham’s Pupil Referral Unit which also caters for excluded pupils, young mums and ill children.

This followed the closure of Hardman Fold Special School in December, 2005, after a string of attacks on staff and pupils.

However, the education watchdog Ofsted is concerned that combining the pupils is unlawful.

The plans will be discussed by the cabinet committee tomorrow following informal consultation.

Councillor Kay Knox, cabinet member for children, young people and families said: “If approved by cabinet, we will be in a position to start the formal process of consulting over building this new facility as quickly as possible.

“This is a very significant stage in enabling us to provide a state of the art facility that meets the needs of young people.

“It will bring together all BESD pupils into one central location where they can all take advantage of a high quality facility together with the committed and high quality teaching in this area that already exists.”