New SEND hub for Newport CE Junior School

Newport CE Junior School has opened a new hub for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) after refurbishing a building on the school grounds.

The building, previously the caretaker’s house and later used as a kitchen and meeting space, has undergone a six-month refurbishment. It was ready to welcome students back after the summer break.

The project, funded by Telford & Wrekin Council’s school expansion programme, has created an additional classroom, a sensory room, a kitchen, and a new outdoor play area. The provision can support up to ten children full-time within their local community.

Councillor Shirley Reynolds, Cabinet for Children, Young People, Education, Employment and Skills, said the conversion was a “welcome addition to the school.”

She added she was pleased it would “be able to support children in a dedicated environment, with the benefits of being in a mainstream school setting.”

Nicola Moody, Headteacher at Newport CE Junior School, commented that they are “delighted to have opened a SEND Hub this September.”

She continued: “We pride ourselves on being truly inclusive and to have this provision within our school community genuinely enables us to live that vision. The facility is exceptional, and the staff and children are already flourishing.”

Andy Pryce, Managing Director at Pryce Builders, described delivering the new hub as a “truly rewarding experience,” and said it was “incredibly fulfilling to now see the children and staff making the most of the new space.”

The refurbishment involved roof improvements, new windows and doors, and upgrades to the electrical, ventilation, heating, and water systems.