Delivered on behalf of Cambridgeshire County Council, Prestley Wood Academy now has the capabilities to cater for 150 pupils aged between 4-19 years. The school will form part of the Alconbury Weald Education Campus that will see the addition of a new Secondary School in future phases.

Working in collaboration with Cambridgeshire County Council and Horizons Education Trust to complete extensive engagement, Prestley Wood now boasts some of the best SEND facilities in the region. This includes two sensory rooms, a state-of-the-art hydrotherapy pool, trampoline room, soft play and much more.

Improvements have been made to the outside areas too with improved soft landscaping, including the introduction of new outside play and gym equipment, a MUGA pitch, and 120 new trees and wildflowers planted.

Aligned with Cambridgeshire County Council’s plans to be Net Zero by 2045, Prestley Wood has been built with sustainability in mind. 200 photovoltaic panels have been installed, as well as an energy efficient air source heat pump system.

The sustainable nature and landscape design of the school will support the curriculum to provide a range of initiatives including residential and educational visits, forest school learning, specialist art-creativity, and sport and fitness.

Prestley Wood Academy will be run as its own school but with strong links to Huntingdon’s nearby Spring Common Academy Trust, which is part of the same Horizons Education Trust.

Jamie Shearman, Area Director for Morgan Sindall Construction in Cambridgeshire, said: “Prestley Wood Academy sets a new standard for SEND schools in Cambridgeshire. We are delighted that we have had the opportunity to work with a great local supply chain and team, alongside Cambridgeshire County Council and Horizons Education Trust, to deliver this great project.

“At Morgan Sindall, we believe great learning environments inspire children’s education and progress and feel that Prestley Wood will give the next generation the best start in life.”

Caroline Place, Head Teacher at Alconbury Weald said: “Horizons Trust has worked closely with Morgan Sindall over a number of years to create an inspirational and sustainable build design, which will serve future generations of learners. Throughout the process, Morgan Sindall have listened and expertly acted upon the specialist SEND guidance in a consistent timely manner to ensure the environment is safe and provides an accessible and joyful experience for our very special group of young people.

“The open atmosphere of collaboration and creativity between a range of knowledgeable and approachable professionals has been incredible, and ably facilitated by the expert Morgan Sindall team. The whole Prestley Wood community cannot thank Morgan Sindall enough.

“The new building is a wonderful environment for learning and growth and a fantastic flagship school for our community. We look forward to welcoming our students to Prestley Wood Academy at the start of the autumn term in September 2024.”

Rebecca Britton, from the Alconbury Weald’s master developer, Urban&Civic, added: “We’re so pleased Prestley Wood Academy is open, and that the development at Alconbury Weald has been able to provide such an inspiring and supportive space for learning for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities across the local area.

“It has been a fantastic experience working with the passion and commitment of the Horizons Education Trust team, and I know our residents and businesses have already given the brilliant team here a warm welcome and we look forward to welcoming students in the coming months and years. This school marks the start of our Education Campus and sets a high bar with its welcoming and sustainable building, and high aspirations for the students and their families. We look forward to continued partnership with the school and its students.”

As Dyslexia Awareness Week (7-13 October) approaches, education experts are highlighting the importance of recognising dyslexia early. With 43% of schools in the UK struggling to understand dyslexic challenges, it’s more important than ever to identify signs early and provide appropriate support.

Leading tutoring provider Explore Learning is stepping up to help parents identify early signs of dyslexia while offering expert advice on supporting dyslexic children. They reassure parents that, with the right guidance, children with dyslexia can overcome challenges and thrive academically.

The British Dyslexia Association estimates that about 10% of the UK population has dyslexia. Despite this, a report from Teaching Times highlights a significant gap in support, with 80% of dyslexic students going undiagnosed. This underscores the urgent need for improved awareness and resources in schools across the UK.

Parents and educators are advised to watch for these potential early signs of dyslexia:

1. Difficulty learning nursery rhymes

Children may struggle to remember or recite simple rhymes like Humpty Dumpty. This is because children with dyslexia may find it challenging to recognise rhyming words or break words into individual sounds.

2. Slow speech development

Some dyslexic children might start speaking later than their peers or have trouble expressing themselves clearly. Children with dyslexia often struggle with phonological processing, which can affect their ability to produce speech sounds accurately.

3. Difficulty learning to recite the alphabet

Remembering the order of letters or associating letters with their sounds may be challenging for dyslexic children. This is related to difficulties in sequential memory and phoneme-grapheme correspondence, which are common in dyslexia.

4. Struggles to carry out more than one instruction

Forgetting parts of instructions or mixing up the order of steps can be a sign of dyslexia in children. This can be due to challenges with working memory and sequencing, which are often associated with dyslexia.

5. Confusion with directional words

Words like ‘left’ and ‘right’ or ‘up’ and ‘down’ may be consistently mixed up in those with dyslexia. This spatial and directional confusion is a common feature of dyslexia, often persisting into adulthood.

6. Difficulty with short-term memory

Children may struggle to remember information they’ve just been told, such as a friend’s name or simple instructions. This is because dyslexia can affect working memory, which is responsible for temporarily holding and processing information.

“It’s crucial to remember that dyslexia is not a reflection of intelligence,” says Charlotte Gater, Head of Education from Explore Learning. “With the right support, children with dyslexia can achieve remarkable success. The key is to recognise each child’s unique learning needs, and ensure their educational strategies are adapted accordingly.”

For those supporting children with dyslexia, Gater suggests these strategies:

1. Use multiple senses for learning

Combine visual, hearing, and hands-on activities. For younger children, use playdough to form letters or sing alphabet songs. Older students can benefit from colour-coding different parts of speech or creating mind maps for story structures.

2. Break tasks into smaller steps

Large assignments can be overwhelming for dyslexic learners. Visual checklists are helpful for younger children, while digital task management apps can be useful for older children and teenagers. Celebrate when steps are completed for all age groups, to maintain motivation.

3. Allow extra time for reading and writing

Reduce time pressure to help children process information more effectively. For younger pupils, extend storytime or use sand timers for writing tasks to make time visual. For older children, allow more time for homework and reading assignments. Create a quiet, distraction-free space at home for study and encourage regular breaks to maintain focus.

4. Use helpful technology

Leverage age-appropriate assistive tools to support learning. For younger pupils, interactive phonics apps like Nessy and digital storybooks can make reading more engaging. Older children can benefit from text-to-speech software for reading assignments and spell-checkers for writing tasks. Secondary school students might find voice recognition tools helpful for note-taking, while grammar-checking software is useful for refining written work.

5. Focus on strengths

Identify and nurture areas where your child excels to build confidence and motivation. For primary school pupils, this might involve praising their creativity in storytelling or their skills in hands-on activities. Older children could be encouraged to join clubs or take on projects related to their strengths, whether in science, art, or sports. For secondary school students, guide them towards optional subjects and extracurricular activities that align with their talents and interests.

Explore Learning offers personalised tuition designed to boost confidence and academic skills for all children, including those with dyslexia. Parents and children interested in learning more can visit the Explore Learning blog, or https://www.explorelearning.co.uk/maths-english-tuition/

Bowman Academy, which is situated on the former site of St Botolph’s Primary School, located to the east of Shepshed on Loughborough Road, will see pupils benefit from a range of facilities to suit their needs. This includes classroom suites with vinyl areas to support practical learning, a sensory “dark room”, practical teaching spaces including a domestic kitchen, a library, a calming room, and a main hall with a demountable stage.

The new build SEND school, which has been designed sympathetically to the needs of SEMH learning, has space for 64 pupils, with facilities for 16 primary-aged children across two ground floor classrooms, with the remaining 48 secondary-aged pupils split across two ground floor classrooms, and a further four on the first floor. The first floor also has an additional three classrooms for practical uses.

Multi-disciplinary consultancy Pick Everard was behind the scheme, providing architectural services for main contractor Bowmer + Kirkland, which was procured by the Department for Education (DfE) under the Modern Methods of Construction (MMC1) framework.

Joe West, associate at Pick Everard, said: “Working on SEND schools is always a privilege, with unique design applications and special consideration for the needs of a diverse range of learning.

“Creating an environment that is both functional and comfortable for pupils was central to the aims of the project, which should in turn aid the school in attracting and retaining students in the area.

“The construction technique employed on this project was a fully offsite solution, so thorough sequencing and planning was paramount to ensure all materials were delivered safely and successfully, as well as meeting the highest standards.

“We’re delighted to have worked alongside Bowmer + Kirkland once again to deliver this fantastic academy for pupils in the area with SEMH needs.”

Driving sustainability initiatives, Bowman Academy’s design includes a ‘fabric-first’ approach, which reduces the energy requirements of the building through measures including high levels of insulation, heat recovery and air tightness.

High efficiency boilers have been installed at the school, which will be run by the Community Inclusive Trust (CIT), as well as LED lighting with occupancy and daylight controls for resource management. The building also has glare control and sustainable natural ventilation, providing a low energy cost solution.

Additionally, the site includes a photovoltaic panel array, providing a ten per cent energy consumption offset from renewable technology.

Steve Waldron, contracts manager at Bowmer + Kirkland, said: “We have been working for the DfE since 2013 and are proud of the 73 schools we have completed, but specialist schools are unique in the enormous difference they make to the pupils and their families. We are delighted to continue our relationship with Pick Everard to deliver another fantastic facility which will improve the lives of so many young people.”

Cllr Deborah Taylor, cabinet member for Children and Families at Leicestershire County Council, said: “It is exciting to see the school completed and we’re looking forward to it opening and welcoming new pupils.

“The building of Bowman Academy part of a wider program to ensure provision is available to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities in Leicestershire, as close to their homes as possible.

“This includes both the building of special schools and creating provision in mainstream schools.”

James Ellis, CIT’s director of SEND education, said, “This is a very exciting time for Bowman Academy. SEMH is a unique sector of education requiring distinctive building design to support the delivery of specialist teaching and care for pupils.

“We look forward to welcoming children in Shepshed and the surrounding area to our new setting and supporting them to develop the knowledge and skills they need to help them thrive in adult life.”

With over 1.6 million pupils in England now registered as having special educational needs (SEN)[1], the much-needed additional spaces made available via Discovery Special Academy will support pupils’ educational, therapeutic and medical needs in the Teesside area.

Currently, students are placed in temporary accommodation on the site of one of Discovery’s sister academies, and this new provision designed and delivered by Portakabin will allow all students, carers and teaching staff of Discovery Special Academy primary and new additional secondary school to be located on one site.

Comprising eight dedicated SEND teaching classrooms and shared teaching spaces, the new academy building will also feature a music and drama room, art classrooms and food tech rooms, as well as a hall and an area for sensory integration therapy.

Jennifer Duncan, Executive Head Teacher, Discovery Special Academy and SEND comments: “When we started this project with Portakabin, we were entering into a new world of construction and learning about MMC. We needed a company who could design and deliver a bespoke, high-quality building to serve the academic and therapeutic needs of our growing academy community in a tight timescale.

“And I am delighted that we found Portakabin.

“The level of care, quality and professionalism throughout has ensured that together, we are on track to deliver this complex project on time. It is a privilege to have been part of such a dedicated team who listened, and who understood the needs of the clients. Students will thrive in this new environment and staff will be able to continue to deliver excellence of provision for years to come.

“It will also continue to benefit the wider community, breaking down barriers and supporting the vision for a truly inclusive Tees Valley. We are incredibly excited about taking ownership of the building in a few weeks and I know the students will love every aspect of this innovative and collaborative design.”

Thanks to the entire school building being manufactured using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), the custom designed modules were precision built by Portakabin at its manufacturing facility in York and successfully transported in convoy and installed in Middlesbrough in June.

Over a five-day period, 30 modules were craned seamlessly into place, much to the delight of the current primary school students, who watched avidly from their classroom windows each day!

Jamie Blogg, Contract Sales Manager at Portakabin comments: “It’s essential to us at Portakabin that we create a school that is not only attractive, but more importantly provides a flexible and safe environment that is welcoming not only to its pupils and staff, but also to parents, carers and the wider Teesside community.

“It’s brilliant that the team here at Portakabin can be part of the Academy’s growth journey and we can’t wait to welcome the students and teachers to their new learning space later this year.”

Discovery Special Academy will also have new car parking provisions for visitors and staff, alongside multiple mini-bus bays and a dedicated ambulance bay. The single-storey modular building will be surrounded by an external courtyard and landscaped playing field and will link to the current primary school with a covered walkway.

The conference will take place Friday 28th June 2024, from 09:30 – 16:00 at Venue Manchester, The Panorama Suite, 11 Portland St, Manchester M1 3HU.

Organised by the team behind the annual Tes SEND Show in London, this conference has been developed in response to requests for local events in the North of England to help manage national issues, locally.

 The sessions will cover the full 0 – 25 age range and are aimed at:

• Headteachers
• Local Authority staff
• SENCOs and members of the SLT
• Governors
• Curriculum / Subject Leads
• Early Years Staff, Teaching Assistants and Support Staff
• Health and Social Care practitioners
• CEOs of Trusts

SEND and Alternative Provision are going to be hot topics in the run up to the General Election. This event will help you to:

• Engage with the SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan and be part of the solution
• Be proactive in moving strategy and practice forward while retaining the best of what you already do
• Support the work of the change programme’s regional expert partnerships
• Find solutions that really work and seize the opportunity to positively influence outcomes
• Collaborate with local stakeholders to deliver local solutions and network with local peers

Children in classrooms right across the country are facing extraordinary challenges and staff need the right support and training to understand and respond appropriately to their needs. This is a key opportunity to hear from experts and learn from settings that are developing good practice.

Speakers include:

Liz Franey, Deputy Director, SEND Systems, Outcomes and Experiences Division, DfE

Janet Collins, Head of Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools, DfE

Ben Solly, Principal, Uppingham Community College, Rutland

Dr Geraldine Codina, Associate Professor of Inclusion and Special Educational Needs and Disability (ISEND), University of Derby

To view the full programme and to register visit sendprovision.com

Early bird rate: £195 before 17^th May

Full rate: £245

Commenting on the launch, Bob Usher, Content Manager at LGfL, said, ‘We have been conscious of the unique challenges in supporting SEND pupils and helping young people understand and manage their responses to death and grief. This resource aims to support all school community members, especially those who work closely with pupils with additional needs.’

The new resource – a blend of video and text-based support, with additional useful links provided in context throughout the structured portal – provides teachers and other professionals with advice and approaches. These include:

• Understanding death and grief
• Communication, including non-verbal and pre-verbal pupils
• Emotions and behaviour – ways grief may be expressed
• Beliefs, rituals and new experiences
• Life-limiting conditions – awareness of the mortality of the self
• Vulnerability and the importance of routine
• Working with families and care-givers

Rebecca Haycock, Education Development Co-ordinator, Child Bereavement UK, explained, ‘Children’s ideas about the concept of death, develop over time. With pupils with special educational needs, it’s really important to establish their understanding. Their cognitive ability may not match their biological age, nor their ability to communicate what they understand. So we must endeavour to meet each child’s individual needs.’

The resource also features contributions from highly experienced headteachers and support staff from Highfurlong School, Blackpool and Oak View School, Epping Forest. They share their experiences and offer some remarkable examples of ways they successfully supported SEND pupils and their families when facing both unexpected and anticipated deaths within their school communities.

These extraordinary case studies, highlight the complexity and depth of sadness families endure. By providing help for families, friends, and peers, pupils are supported to move on and resume their lives positively with joy and happiness even within difficult contexts.

Since partnering in 2018, the two charities have co-created several successful teacher support resources surrounding bereavement: Supporting a Bereaved Pupil, Managing a Sudden Death in a School Community and Having Honest Conversations about Death and Grief.

The new resource for supporting SEND pupils facing bereavement is open to view, to help school communities in both specialist SEND provision and mainstream settings. Please visit https://sendbereavement.lgfl.org.uk

Tony France, director of Headsight said, “We can all struggle with our mental health. At Headsight, we support people to improve their mental health, we do this through training and therapeutic interventions. We encourage a compassionate approach; recognising that all behaviour is a form of communication.

“Woodmancote School has been recognised today for continued growth around its responses to childhood trauma and working therapeutically with its most vulnerable pupils. We hope that other senior leaders, SENCOs and TAs will follow in Woodmancote’s footsteps and be trained in implementing a whole school therapeutic approach.”

Over a three-year period, with the support of the senior leadership team, key staff have engaged in trauma-informed and therapeutic practice qualifications whilst more than 85% of the whole school staff have completed an introduction to understanding psychological trauma. Through Headsight and the Trauma Action Group (TAG), staff have received help to embed new learning into their day-to-day practice, creating an environment where improved relationships now mean that learning and fun can happen.

Gary Tucker, headteacher from Woodmancote said, “We have worked hard to build and evidence our understanding and approach to working with trauma and we are delighted that this has been recognised. Working with Headsight and TAG has enabled us to understand what drives behaviour, a willingness to adapt and the determination to meet the needs of every child.”

Trauma can take all shapes and sizes and we know that it can have an impact on children’s ability to learn, build relationships and thrive. Working therapeutically with children who have been impacted by trauma helps reduce the longer-term impact, this can lead to a reduction in school exclusions, children becoming more resilient and going on to build healthier relationships.

Ethos College was praised by Ofsted inspectors for creating an ‘ambitious curriculum’ and facilitating an ‘inclusive environment’ for all pupils. Ethos supports pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs (SEMH), other medical needs and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The report outlined how ‘empowered’ pupils felt and noted the ‘dedicated staff who want to see every pupil flourish’.

This is a monumental achievement for the school under the new Ofsted framework as a report revealed that only 17% of 370 “outstanding” schools kept their grade when they had a full reinspection in 2021-22. In addition, Ethos College joins a small number of alternative provisions that hold this prestigious title and is the only alternative provision in Kirklees to do so.

The Ofsted report praised the school’s strong commitment to helping pupils ‘succeed’ and noted that leaders are engaged in ensuring an ‘inclusive school’ environment that is well-designed to meet the needs of each pupil. The inspection highlighted the personal development of pupils as a ‘significant strength’ of the school. The curriculum is based on a well-designed foundation of personal, social, health and economic standards. It offers the freedom for pupils to develop their talents and interests through an array of sports and music tuition.

“Leaders and staff ensure the school environment is positive. Relationships between staff and pupils are strong. Pupils feel safe in school. Staff and pupils respect each other. The school is calm and orderly. Pupils say that bullying does not exist in their school. They also felt confident that staff would deal with it effectively if it were to occur.”

The Dewsbury-based school boasts a robust safeguarding policy in place – to help keep children and young people safe by providing a safe environment for children and young people to learn and develop in the school setting.

Furthermore, the report also mentioned the school’s safeguarding arrangements as ‘effective’ and noted that staff are equipped with ‘extensive safeguarding’ knowledge.

The school, part of Ethos Academy Trust, has been supporting the need for specialist provision in the area and offering opportunities for children with social, emotional and mental health needs and other medical needs to flourish academically and personally. Additionally, the inspectors described how the school’s leaders received strong support from the multi-academy trust.

Many pupils start at Ethos College after long periods of absence from mainstream school. Some have had a less than positive experience of education before joining the school and initially find it difficult to adjust to this new phase.  The staff and teachers were applauded for working ‘patiently’ to improve pupils’ attitudes towards school and how each of them was ‘well cared’ for and ‘happy’.

“Teachers successfully adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. This ensures pupils with SEND achieve exceptionally well. Pupils access an ambitious curriculum across a wide body of subjects.”

The pupils were described as ‘well behaved’ due to consistent efforts displayed by the ‘highly skilled’ staff who were mentioned as a key reason for the ‘significant attendance’ improvement of the pupils.

Reflecting about this historic landmark and how the school is making a positive impact in the lives of children with special educational needs and disabilities, Head Teacher of Ethos College, Rebecca Smith, said: “We are so pleased with the outstanding results of the Ofsted report. It is a culmination of hard-work and dedication of the entire team at Ethos College.

“Our pupils come from various backgrounds and mostly require specialist support to meet their needs. Our bespoke and tailored curriculum has been curated to meet the requirements of each pupil and aims to provide them with highly effective education and support.

“Moreover, we have focused our priority on nurturing an inclusive learning community for our teachers and pupils, which has enabled us to achieve this outstanding outcome.”

Jayne Foster, CEO Ethos Academy Trust, former head teacher of Ethos College, was delighted to state: “I am immensely proud of Rebecca and the entire team at Ethos College which includes our pupils, past and present. Like all of our schools, Ethos College undertakes a holistic approach to ensuring pupils’ needs are identified and met throughout their journey with the school. They have adopted a curriculum that addresses their academic needs as well as SEMH needs through quality first teaching and targeted interventions, devotion and determination – preparing them for the next stage of their lives and bright futures ahead.”

To find out more about Ethos Academy Trust please go to https://www.eat.uk.com/

The pilot, which is funded until August 2023, will involve staff from 150 maintained mainstream schools in England receiving free-to-access training to improve the way they use assistive technology (AT).

Delivered with partners at Microlink, the training will encourage staff to use technology which they already have available to them to reduce or remove the barriers to learning for all children and young people, including for learners with SEND.

Schools interested in participating should visit www.nasen.org.uk to express their interest and be kept updated with details about the training offer and next steps in the application process.

The programme builds on the success of a previous AT Training Pilot, which also saw nasen collaborate with Microlink, to run online training sessions to nominated AT Champions in around 80 schools in England. Then, as now, the partnership brought together expertise in AT and SEND, along with an understanding of the day-to-day operation of schools and how assistive technology supports an inclusive classroom for all learners – both with and without SEND.

nasen CEO, Annamarie Hassall MBE, said: “Assistive Technology has an increasingly important role to play in education for all children and young people, and we know that its effective use can be empowering – even life-changing – for a learner with SEND or learning differences.

“nasen is thrilled to have been selected by the Department for Education to run this programme, and delighted to be teaming up with Microlink once more to help ensure all learners are given the tools required to enable progress and achieve the best outcomes.”

Marius Frank, Head of Education and Project Lead at Microlink, added: “We are absolutely delighted to be working once again in partnership with nasen. The feedback we received from primary and secondary schools participating in the pilot programme earlier this year was fantastic. The moment teachers release the power of Assistive Technologies in mainstream classes, so many children and young people get almost immediate benefits.”

To find out more and to express interest in a place on the programme, visit www.nasen.org.uk. Successful applicants will be informed by the end of January, with the first training sessions being delivered by the end of March 2023.

On Monday 17 October, selected pupils from the Valley School joined county councillors and project officers to get up close to the construction of their new school – which is due to be completed in the Autumn term next year (October 2023).

This substantial development forms part of Hertfordshire County Council’s planned investment in SEND, which equates to more than £50m over the next three years.

Cllr Terry Douris, Executive Member for Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning at Hertfordshire County Council, said: “The new building and facilities for this school reflects our commitment to making sure that every child and young person continues to have access to a good school, where they can be supported to achieve their full potential.

“We have used the opportunity of the new build to increase the number of places available, helping us to meet the increasing need for special education in Hertfordshire and make sure that children and young people are receiving the right support, at the right time, in the right place. It’s a fantastic investment for the young people of Hertfordshire and I pay my thanks to everyone who has been involved.”

On the day, six pupils from the school mingled with county councillors who’d had a role in planning and allocating the funding required to invest in Stevenage’s new SEND school, as well as project officers and architects. The children pointed out the foundations of their new classrooms and shared their excitement about their new school.

David Pearce, Headteacher at The Valley School, told those attending the event how the building project has become a source of excitement and inspiration for the children. “The children are watching the time-lapse cameras and looking through the viewing panels, seeing their new school being built. They’re looking forward to November when they’ll be able to see the frame going up and the school taking shape – they’re already talking about where their classrooms will be, and their chance to visit the site and the project team.

“It’s really exciting for the students and the whole of the school community.  As the head teacher it is amazing to be able to complement our high-quality teaching with a learning environment that our young people can really enjoy. It is very special. This is giving the students, teachers and support staff the best of the best and they absolutely deserve it!”

The Valley School buildings had originally been designed to be used by a mainstream secondary school, which then became a SEND school in 1991.

“The current building is coming to the end of its serviceable life, with maintenance costs increasing,” explains Cllr Bob Deering, Cabinet Member for Resources at Hertfordshire County Council. “This is why we took this opportunity to invest in a new purpose-built school suitable for children with SEND which, through its enhanced environmental credentials, will be much more sustainable and efficient to run and maintain in the future.”

In addition to being built according to the latest guidelines from the Department for Education, the new special school also reflects Hertfordshire County Council’s wider commitment to sustainable, responsible growth in Hertfordshire.

Once built, the new school will be net zero carbon in operation, will generate its own electricity onsite and will only use electricity. It will also help to enhance local biodiversity through the installation of bat and bird boxes and green roofs.

The overall presentation of the new, single-storey building will also be more in keeping with the local environment than the existing school. Its green roofs and sunken location in the shallow valley means that the building will blend into its natural surroundings.

The new purpose-built school has been designed through ongoing consultation with teaching staff, to meet the needs of the current Valley School pupils.

During the pandemic, classes had been grouped together in their school years; this was found to be advantageous to supporting the children more closely. This has now become a dominant design feature, with the year group pods situated around two central courtyards – each with their own toilets and areas for group work. There is also a high-ceilinged multi-use space the school can use for sports, dining and drama.

For more information about Hertfordshire County Council’s commitment to invest in special education provision, read the council’s SEND strategy and for information and resources to help you support a child with special educational needs, visit the local offer.