Specialist education project which aims to increase provision in Telford is revealed

Queensway caters for 120 children in Telford & Wrekin and is currently based over two sites which are six miles apart.

The Queensway North site in Hadley caters for 60 children with a significant diagnosis of autism from Year 6 to 11.

Meanwhile, Queensway South in Dawley has the same number of children in Year 5 to 11 with social emotional mental health needs (SEMH).

Both sites are operated by the Learning Community Trust (LCT) under the same headteacher.

Under plans revealed a capital works program would see both schools run from the Queensway North site.

“The two sites are about a 20-minute drive apart which creates challenges for the headteacher and managing staff and students across the two sites,” Paul Jones, LCT chief operating office said.

“The challenge is meeting need as demand for places is far higher than the existing building can accommodate. LCT has invested in the Queensway South site and made major improvements to the building and environment developing high quality vocational provision for our learners.”

The LCT is preparing to take on Kickstart from its current base at Telford College.

Mr Jones added: “As a trust we are committed to improving the quality of alternative provision in Telford.

“The current accommodation for Kickstart is poor and does not meet the needs of these very vulnerable young people.

“LCT is prepared to accept Kickstart into the trust and develop an outstanding alternative provision for Telford but only if the building issues can be resolved.”

Mr Jones says that there is land available at the Queensway North site to expand and cater for both current schools.

“We have fantastic primary practitioners at Queensway combined with the vison and experience of a superb headteacher,” he added.

“This proposal would also bring the whole of our special school onto one site and create an outstanding provision for the borough.

“This would then release the Queensway South site as a purpose-built alternative provision which would accommodate at least 48 young people. Again, with an innovative curriculum, proper therapeutic and behaviour support we would want to develop a new alternative provision for the borough based at the Queensway South site.”

“To ensure safeguarding we need to erect temporary fencing to create safe external areas. Internally we will move partitions to create teaching spaces for a maximum of eight pupils/class.

“The total number of pupils on roll is 48, however they attend school over various shift patterns. The age of pupils is Year 10 to 11 (aged 14 to 16).

“This project is vital of the borough of Telford & Wrekin and is very well supported by the local authority and Department of Education.”

Simon Wellman, the council’s director of education and skills sent a letter of support with the application.

He said that the plan formed part of a ‘wider scheme’ for the expansion of Queensway.

“This will vastly improve the quality of specialist and alternative education provision in the borough for some of our most vulnerable learners,” he said.

“Telford & Wrekin is experiencing an increase in the number of children with complex and significant specialist and alternative educational needs who would benefit from specialist or alternative education provision.

“The capital expansion of Queensway will increase the capacity of the specialist provision available to children in the borough. More children will be able to access the provision at Kickstart Academy as they move to larger premises."