New school for 80 students will be built on former Castlebrook secondary site

Planning approval has been granted in the past week for the two-storey SEND school which will be constructed on the site of the former Castlebrook secondary, which was demolished in 2017 and replaced nearby by Unsworth Academy.

SEND schools are for  children with special educational needs and disabilities if they have a learning difficulty and/or a disability that means they need more support.

The school will support the needs of up to 80 students, most of whom will have restricted mobility. Documents supporting the proposals for the school, which is set to open in September 2023, will have a multi use games area (MUGA), on-site car parking and access will be from Parr Lane with a pick up and drop off area.

The school building, will have general and specialist teaching classrooms, a main hall, dining area and kitchen, a library and offices. Once open the school will employ 40 full time members of staff.

Plans for the school

A design and access statement in support of the plans, said: “Bury SEND School is a DfE approved free school that will be managed by the

Shaw Education Trust (SET).

“SET is a multi-academy school trust which leads and manages academies in all phases, all sectors and in all communities, including the adjacent Unsworth Academy.

“The proposed building will have a much larger catchment area than its mainstream counterparts.

"It is to become an aspirational destination for the pupils and their parents and carers.

“The building itself has a clear layout that is legible, easy to navigate and maximises the quality and variety of external spaces.

"The proposal will complement the adjacent Unsworth Academy as the mainstream secondary for the local area.

“The proposal will provide much needed SEND facilities catering more specifically to children with autism and mild behavioural needs aged 11-16 years.”

Plans for the school

A total of 41 staff parking spaces, two disabled spaces and 21 visitor and pick up and drop off spaces will be provided.

The pedestrian access would also be off Parr Lane and run along the southern edge of the car park with a paved access to the school.

Earlier this month, Bury Council said it was seeking proposals from education trusts to open another new special school in Bury.

That facility would be new 60-place special school, planned to open in September 2025, which will serve pupils between the ages of 11-16 and cater for children with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs.