Praise for new Hartlepool special school plans

The Secretary of State for Education approved Hartlepool Borough Council’s bid to establish a new special free school in the town in 2019.

The school will be for children and young people with social and emotional mental health needs (SEMH) and land has been allocated for the site off Brenda Road to the south of Golden Flatts Primary school.

Council officers told the finance and policy committee plans are continuing with the school, and it is hoped it will be opening in September 2022.

They added it is estimated the school could save the council £1.2million in ‘three to four years’ from its opening in funding currently spent on providing specialist out of town provision to children.

Coun Jim Lindridge praised the benefits the proposals could have for children and families in the town.

He said: “I’m really pleased, it’s a good opportunity for the town, for the young people with social and emotional issues, I think it’s a great step forward.

“They’ll be able to have the placements within the town which saves the stress on parents and getting people to Middlesbrough, Stockton or whatever, and the associated costs for travel.

“It’s a great opportunity for the town, it’s smashing for the kids, it’s really important we have as much in-house provision as possible for our young people.”

Council officers said there will be a phased approach over three years when opening the school, with numbers increasing each year.

In total the school is expected to provide 50 places, and it is estimated Hartlepool currently has the need for around 30, meaning the remaining places will be sold to nearby local authorities to send pupils.

Councillors on the committee agreed to the next stage of work to provide the school, which involves leasing the land to the Department for Education (DfE).

The DfE will construct the building and assign the lease to the selected academy trust on completion of the work, with a provider already in place.

The DfE is funding the work, but the council will be asked to make a capped cash contribution for the project in the event of any ‘significant abnormal costs’.

The council will also be responsible for the provision of access to the site, which will involve the construction of 100 metres of adopted road immediately to the North of the site to form a junction with Brenda Road.

It is intended the council will design and construct the road, rather than simply fund the cost, and funding for this was approved earlier this year.

Updates will come back to the Finance and Policy Committee on the progress of the work and any extra funding needing to be approved.

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