New special educational needs school planned for Corby

Northamptonshire County Council is working with the Education Funding Agency and Kingsley Special Academy on the new all-through free school, which will be built on part of the former Beanfield Community School.

The school, which will be called Red Kite Academy, will provide places for up to 100 pupils aged four to 18 and could be open in September 2018.

County council cabinet member for families and education Cllr Matthew Golby said: “We know there are an increasing number of children in Northamptonshire attending special educational needs schools and this new school will help us to meet demand and provide local places for local children.

“I would encourage people in Corby to come along to our consultation event to find out more about these exciting plans.”

The school will have 12 classrooms, specialist teaching rooms, a hall, a hydrotherapy pool, life skills suites and medical rooms.

Between January 2014 and January 2016 there has been a 9.3 per cent increase in the number of children attending special educational needs schools in Northamptonshire.

The project is being funded by the Department for Education and will be run by a new academy trust.

The project to create the new school was devised by members of the Maplefields Teaching School Alliance with further strategic support from Brooke Weston Trust.

Before a planning application is submitted later this month, members of the community are being offered the chance to come along to a consultation event tomorrow (Tuesday) to find out more about the plans and give their feedback.

The consultation event will take place at Beanfield Primary Academy in Farmstead Road, Corby, tomorrow between 4.30pm and 7pm.

If the planning application is approved, building will start on site next June.