The first image of what a new school would look like has been revealed - as plans for the £20m development were revealed.
Norfolk County Council wants to move Fred Nicholson School, which caters for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), from its current home in Dereham to a new site in Lynn Road, Swaffham.
The relocation would mean children would be able to attend the school all the way from the age of five to 16, with the number of pupils going up from 173 to 225.
Conservative-controlled County Hall is also tendering for a £20m contract to build the school, due to open in April 2025.
READ MORE: Fred Nicholson School switch to Swaffham is defended
Penny Carpenter, the council's cabinet member for children’s services, said: “We want every child with special educational needs to flourish, whether that’s in mainstream schools or specialist schools like Fred Nicholson.
"Growing demand for places means that Fred Nicholson has completely outgrown its current building and the school needs to move, so that it can continue to provide the brilliant education it offers its children.
"It’s just one of the projects we’re investing in for children with SEND – we’re supporting mainstream schools so that they can help children earlier, investing in our own teams and building hundreds of new specialist places."
Jane Hayman, headteacher at Fred Nicholson School, said: "We are delighted at the fantastic opportunity this move could give our young people and the team here – it’s a very exciting prospect.
"We recognise the significant impact the expansion of our school could have on the wider SEND community in Norfolk as we can offer more places to more children from a wider age range.
"Our aim is always to provide the best possible specialist education for all our children and young people, to build for successful futures and flourish towards independence."
No decisions have been made about the future of the current Fred Nicholson site in Dereham.
If the move goes ahead the council’s children’s services department will first consider if it can be kept for education use before the council explores any further options.
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