Derbyshire Celebrates the Opening of This Very Special Special School
On Friday 19th May Alfreton Park School celebrate the official opening of their new school. Lord Burlington will undertake official ribbon cutting duties which will be followed by a day of celebration, marking the end of this important £12m build.
For decades Alfreton Park School (formerly Alfreton Park Community Special School) had managed with a building and grounds totally unsuited to the needs of their pupils. After years of campaigning, planning for the new SEN school began in 2017 when Derbyshire County Council agreed the proposal. This project was to be unlike any other that Derbyshire County Council had previously approved. The school was able to be at the very centre of the design and build team which has resulted in a school perfectly tailored to meet the requirements of pupils aged 2 to 19 years with a diverse range of highly complex Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
After a tough interview process architects, Curl La Tourelle Head were chosen by both DCC and the school to design the new building. In 2019 local construction company, Henry Bros were awarded the contract for converting these designs into reality. Construction was completed mid-2022 with the students moving in and making it their forever home not long after.
Designed to accommodate pupils with a variety of learning, physical and emotional needs the school comprises of 12 state-of-the-art classrooms and 4 group learning rooms as well as an outdoor learning classroom, where pupils can gain experience in horticulture and woodworking. In addition to these learning spaces, the school has a number of therapy rooms including a Music Room, Art Room, Rebound Room, Sensory Room, Sensory Integration Room, Physiotherapy Room and a Nurse’s Room able to cope with the medical needs of some of the school’s more complex pupils.
Outdoor spaces have been given just as much thought with landscape architects, Wynne Williams designing the outdoor areas. In the old school, the pupils only had a small rectangular space on which they could play. Pupils can now choose to play in the central courtyard which houses an accessible play tower, wheelchair roundabout, sensory garden, trim trail and bike track, or they can play sport in the multi-use games area, or they can use the exercise equipment located in one of the two play zones outside their classrooms.
Headteacher, Josie O’Donnell is thrilled to invite all of those who have played a part in making the new school a reality to this celebration;
“After so many years of ‘making do’ in our old cramped school we are delighted to finally be teaching in a building that actually suits the needs of our incredible pupils. The difference this school will make to the lives of young people with special educational needs both now in the future simply cannot be underestimated. We are so grateful to each and every organisation and individual who have contributed to this amazing project. None more so than Derbyshire County Council who, with their guidance, entrusted us to design a building which has these special pupils it’s very heart. Our official opening is a celebration not only of all the hard work that has taken place, but of the dedicated, caring and highly skilled team, who strive for the best outcomes for our pupils.”
For more information please contact School Business Manager - Rebecca Dallman 01773 483330
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