MELKSHAM House will take on a new role from the autumn, as final preparations are on course for it to open as a Special Educational Needs (SEND) school. Wiltshire Council started the tender process to find an education provider for the school last month.
The grade II listed landmark, near the Melksham Community Campus, has undergone refurbishment to provide schooling for up to 45 primary-aged and up to 25 places for secondary-age young people.
“The opening of the school will ensure more children and young people can stay local rather than being bussed out to out of county placements or having Education Other Than in School packages of support,” says a spokesperson for Wiltshire Council.
“There is currently no specialist primary school provision for children who have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) with Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs (SEMH) in Wiltshire. There is also an increasing number of secondary age children with an EHCP who require a specialist provision to support their needs, including children and young people who experience anxiety.”
Cabinet member for SEND, cllr Jane Davies, said, “We want our children and young people to have their education in Wiltshire at a school they attend full time that works for them and meets their needs. This is an important move by Wiltshire Council to ensure we have a high-quality, first-class education for pupils attending this school. The next key step will be to appoint the education provider and ensure everything is ready for the next school year.”
The Wiltshire Council spokesperson added, “The tender process will aim to appoint an education provider who can support Wiltshire Council in delivering high quality provision at a reasonable cost and decrease the number of pupils who have to attend Independent Special School places, out of county that are costly. Current spend on the Independent Special School places accounts for 6% of SEND pupils but 23% of cost of provision overall.”
Renovations of the Melksham House building, which was formerly a social club for Avon workers, commenced last year, costing £4.2million. Wiltshire Council, who own the historic building, originally said that the site could be used as a community hall, along with flexible office and meeting rooms, for the town. MP Michelle Donelan spearheaded a bid for government funding for the scheme.
Last year, Melksham Town Council also submitted a bid to buy the building for £2million to keep it for community use. However, it was revealed that at the same time, there were plans to turn the site into a pupil referral unit and that Melksham Town Council’s bid would only be considered if alternative plans were not taken forward.
