PLANS have been tabled to build a school for children with special educational needs on the site of the former Newman School in Carlisle.

The Cumbria County Council application is currently out to consultation and will be considered by the authority’s development control and regulation committee at the end of next month.

Similar sites can be found at the Gillford Centre and Kingmoor Park in Carlisle.

The project is part of the council’s Inclusive Cumbria Strategy, which sets out proposals for transforming its approach to “ensuring all children have the best possible education and support”.

A key part of the strategy focuses on ‘Alternative Provision’ sites as a way of improving outcomes for young people who are unable to access the curriculum in mainstream schools.

In November 2018 the proposed site on Edgehill Road, along with another site in Barrow, received initial approval for funding.

Cumbria County Council is expected to be one of the funders for the project, but confirmation has not yet been given on how the full cost of the plan will be funded, or the total cost.

The Carlisle site would accommodate 40 young people with special educational needs and is currently unused.

It is expected that the site will employ in the region of 12 class teachers and support staff and a further 10 staff for specialist teaching and admin/management.

The facility will incorporate two dedicated secondary-size classrooms with a range of specialist teaching spaces, including the following:

  • Science Studio (and Preparation Space) – multi-purpose space;
  • Design Technology Room;
  • Food Technology/ HE Room;
  • Art Room – multi-purpose space;
  • Multi-purpose space.

A spokesman for Cumbria County Council said: “I can confirm there is an application in to build a new school specifically for special educational needs on the site of the former Newman School in Carlisle.

“That application will be considered at the end of November at a Cumbria County Council development control and regulation meeting.”