Closed Bulwell school will become specialist mental health facility amid ‘significant pressure’
A Bulwell primary school that was closed due to falling pupil numbers will now become a specialist mental health facility.
Nottingham City Council approved the closure of Snape Wood Primary& Nursery School ast year, with all remaining children moved to neighbouring schools.
In September it had just 62 pupils on roll, despite a capacity of 210.
Unfilled spaces were then expected to hit 60 percent by 2028, which had been put down to falling birth rates across the city.
The Labour-led authority’s senior councillors approved the school’s re-purposing at a meeting on June 16.
The school will be used to create 80 places to be used as specialist social, emotional, and mental health provision for pupils aged five to 16 years, and it will be known as Willowfield Academy North (RET).
It will be leased to the to Raleigh Education Trust (RET).
Coun Sulcan Mahmood (Lab), executive member for employment, education and skills, said: “It further represents an investment of £2.31m and will create 80 specialist places for children and young people aged five to 16.
“It directly responds to the growing demand for specialist provision across Nottingham and forms an important part of our SEND sufficiency strategy.
“We know more children are presenting with complex social, emotional and mental health needs, and that specialist provision across the city continues to experience significant pressure.
“By increasing local capacity we can ensure more children can access the right support at the right time, and closer to home.
“Importantly it makes a productive use of an existing educational site, ensuring the former Snape Wood School continues to serve Nottingham’s children and communities for many years to come.”
It is expected the plan will deliver £3.84m in savings, through reducing the council’s reliance on expensive independent education services.
Sarah Nardone, corporate director of children’s and education services, added: “This is a good opportunity for us to ensure all children in Nottingham city with additional needs get the support they need and deserve, and help improve educational outcomes.”
At the meeting councillors also approved plans to expand Denewood Academy in Nottingham by opening a satellite site at the former Aspley Community Training Centre.