A special school will soon be able to cater for an extra 34 pupils after being the given the go-ahead to expand.

Park Lane School, on the Macclesfield Learning Zone, will increase its capacity to 156 places from September after Cheshire East's children and families committee gave the expansion the green light this week.

Macclesfield councillor Sarah Bennett-Wake (Lab) who moved the recommendation, said: "That's fantastic news and I'm sure there's parents and teachers really welcome this.

"This is a good news story."

The proposal includes remodelling of existing space to create an additional classroom and provision of additional facilities including toilets

A report to the committee said: "This scheme will provide a specialist setting for pupils aged four to 19, with profound and multiple learning difficulties, complex medical needs and severe learning difficulties.

"There is an increasing number of pupils joining the school with autism spectrum disorder."

Cheshire East currently has six special schools in the borough supporting 660 pupils with an education health and care plan (EHCP).

advertisement

The provision is insufficient to meet growing SEND needs.

The borough's special schools are currently at full capacity or operating above capacity, which has resulted in an over-reliance on the independent sector.

The cost of placements within the independent sector are considerably higher than special school placements and often children have to travel several miles each day to schools which are outside the borough.

The report to the committee said: "The overall strategy being adopted by the council is to increase local SEND provisions and enhance SEND support services to ensure needs are met in the most effective way across mainstream schools, mainstream schools with resource provisions, creating additional places in existing special schools and the provision of new special schools."

The committee was unanimous in backing the school's expansion.