£9 million expansion plans at Telford school

A Telford school has unveiled exciting expansion plans to create a new building for students with special educational needs.
Queensway Academy – which is part of the Learning Community Trust – has submitted a planning application for a new building next to its existing Hortonwood site.
The 1,533 square metre building is a £9 million investment and will support students with special educational needs from ages 7-16.
If planning permission is granted, construction work could start in autumn 2024 and the new facility could open by September next year.
Queensway caters for children and young people on the autistic spectrum and those with social, emotional and mental health difficulties.
Headteacher Julie Bravo said: “The new building will be an extension to our existing facilities at Queensway North, to provide education for key stage 2, 3 and 4 students.
“The extra space will also enable us to link more readily with our second site at Queensway South in Dawley and share resources between the two schools.
“It will provide accessible and flexible teaching facilities in a modern, energy efficient and sustainable building, as well as a range of ancillary spaces.
“Our aim is to create an attractive and welcoming teaching and learning environment for both students and staff.”
Subjects including science, food technology, art, design technology and music will all have specialist classrooms in the new building, which will include covered external teaching spaces to deliver subjects including construction skills, horticulture and forest learning.
The proposals also include high quality landscaping and external facilities for sport and recreation that have been specifically designed to meet the needs of the students.
Queensway Specialist School operates on a split site catering for children and young people on the Autistic Spectrum (Queensway North), and for those with social, emotional and mental health difficulties (Queensway South).
The curriculum offers qualifications in both practical and vocational subjects including motor vehicles, and hair and beauty, alongside more traditional academic courses.
The Learning Community Trust runs more than a dozen primary, secondary and specialist school sites across Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin, employing over 1,000 people.
Academies that form the Trust include Hadley Learning Community, Ercall Wood, Charlton and Burton Borough secondary schools; specialist education centres such as Queensway in Telford and Severndale in Shrewsbury; and primary schools in Hadley, Wellington, Crudgington, and Allscott.
The Trust is also due to take over Telford Priory School in March this year.