St Francis School in Fareham and Forest Park School in Totton have celebrated the completion of building projects to improve existing provision and expand the number of school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
St Francis School accommodates 103 pupils aged 4-19 years old with severe and profound learning disabilities. The school has undergone a £4.4 million investment to deliver four new classrooms, a library, an immersive technology room and new hygiene facilities in the main building, as well as new hygiene facilities in Jo Collett House, where post-16 pupils are taught.
Forest Park School caters for 2-19-year-old pupils with severe and profound learning difficulties and has benefited from a £700,000 investment in a new Early Years unit for Reception Year children. This has allowed the school to increase its capacity by 16 places, taking the school’s capacity from 124 to 140.
Cllr Roz Chadd, the County Council’s Deputy Leader and Executive Lead Member for Children’s Services, visited both schools recently and said: “It was a pleasure to visit both schools and see the improvements that have been made to create more vitally needed SEND school places. Both schools form part of our wider, ongoing investment to make sure that children and young people with additional needs have access to the support they require, in high quality learning environments close to home.”