New £6.25m special school is good to go

Hollinwood Academy

THE countdown is on for the opening of the new Hollinwood Academy in September.

Contractors Extraspace Solutions (UK) Ltd has now handed the school over to sponsors the New Bridge Group.

The £6.25 million specialist school is on the former Kaskenmoor site and next to the existing New Bridge School.

The necessary equipment testing, training of staff and familiarisation with the state-of-the-art building are now taking place so everything is ready for the first day of term.

Specialist design features and resources have been used to deliver the best possible level of education for 140 pupils on the Autistic Spectrum Continuum (ASC).

The new school includes a sports hall that the community can use outside of school hours.

Special training shops will also help students find employment once they have left school.

Council leader Jim McMahon said: “We are delighted work has finished on Hollinwood Academy. This new school is fantastic news for local parents and families and it will improve education for children with autism.

“We have high hopes for all our children, so making sure that we provide state-of-the-art facilities like this new school is essential.

Councillor Shoab Akhtar, cabinet member for education and skills, added: “Now that work has been completed on Hollinwood Academy the number of opportunities for children and young people from early years will increase, meaning more of them can go into further and higher education and into employment.”

The new academy will add to Oldham’s three existing special schools at Springbrook, Kingfisher and New Bridge and the four specialist units in operation at mainstream schools.

Money for the new special school has been provided by the Department for Education (DfE) after Oldham Council successfully applied for funding — beating off a host of other local councils.

New Bridge — which was Oldham Council’s preferred choice for the sponsor — was selected by the DfE from a shortlist of four candidates to run the school.

It was chosen for its excellent provision of teaching for children with special educational needs and was rated “outstanding” in its most recent Ofsted inspection.

The school’s bid to be sponsor was widely supported by other schools in the area, as well as the local authority.

Graham Quinn, executive principal of New Bridge Group, said: “The new school will be a real asset to Oldham.

“Children and young people on the Autistic Continuum will have access to the very best facilities and the very best staff within the region. The New Bridge Group is committed to ensuring all the children have the greatest opportunities to succeed.”