Work begins on 'very much needed' £13m school that's nearly four times as big as one it replaces

Demand for the school has surged

Construction work has begun on a £13 million school with space for almost four times as many children as the one it replaces. The new Hawthorns Primary School will provide 220 places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Tameside.

While the current site was built to accommodate 60 children, Ofsted says there are currently more than triple that number of pupils at the school, at 196. Town hall bosses say demand for SEND support has grown in recent years, with more than 2,600 Education Health and Care Plans for children and young people in the borough as of April 2023, more than triple the figure in 2017.

"This is an exciting development which represents a real opportunity to build upon the SEND offer within our local area, something that is very much needed," said Clare John, CEO at New Bridge Multi Academy Trust, which runs Hawthorns School. “We look forward to seeing the progress and supporting Hawthorns with this expansion of their already outstanding offer for children with SEND in Tameside and Greater Manchester."

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Plans for the new school to be built on the Longdendale Playing Field site, in Mottram, were given the green light by Tameside's planning committee last December and the council's executive in April. At the time, Tameside Council stressed the need for more specialist SEND provision in the borough.

It also claimed the additional capacity would save the local authority around £3 million a year, by avoiding more expensive independent or out-of-borough placements for Tameside youngsters requiring SEND school places. The new school will replace the current site within Aldwyn Primary School, in Audenshaw. Hawthorns School is currently rated as 'outstanding' by Ofsted.

The new single-storey, 4,038m² building will include four early years classrooms, 12 classrooms dedicated to pupils with autistic spectrum disorder, and nine classrooms designed for pupils with moderate learning difficulties. It will also feature sensory gardens and specialised teaching areas for art, drama, ICT, and life skills, along with a library, training and family room, and sports hall.

The site will also provide a modern Football Foundation specification grass pitch and a 3G pitch, for use by both the school and local community. It's hoped the energy-efficient facility, being built by Robertson Construction North West, will be complete in September 2024.

Coun Leanne Feeley, Tameside Council executive member for education, achievement and equalities, added: “I’m delighted that work is underway on this state-of-the-art, energy efficient building that will provide a wonderful place for children with SEND to learn, develop and be happy. We are committed to investing in our children’s education, welfare and future.

"This significant investment will provide a purpose-built school with sufficient space to accommodate demand for places on one site and to serve future learners. Hawthorns Primary School is an outstanding school that’s very popular with parents.

"I can’t wait for the construction to be finished so that their pupils can make the most of these fantastic new facilities. The community will also benefit from the new, modern sports pitches.”