£2m cash boost for school

4:38pm Monday 7th April 2008

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Pupils in Wantage are delighted at a £2m cash boost to transform their school with brand new facilities.

Fitzwaryn School, in Denchworth Road, which educates children with special educational needs, several with severe learning disabilities, will soon be accessible to all children with mobility problems.

At the moment the school is on three different levels with steps in between, which has caused difficulties for staff and pupils. It also has three dated temporary classrooms.

Barbara Harker, headteacher of the 63-pupil school, said: "The school is delighted that we're finally getting a building suited to the needs of the children from our community.

"It will mean we will be a community special school in every sense of the word.

"It's going to give us ramping and access to the whole building. It will make our environment a proper learning environment.

"We're over the moon."

Three temporary classrooms will be knocked down and replaced by three new classrooms, three one-to-one rooms and a small group classroom.

There would also be a 'chill-out' room for children with challenging behaviour, a sensory theatre and a Jacuzzi.

Michael Waine, cabinet member for school's improvement, said: "It's time for such an outstanding school to have an outstanding building.

"Special schools are constantly having to adapt to new demands and this includes creating greater accessibility for Oxfordshire children with limited mobility."

The school serves pupils with moderate to multiple learning difficulties aged between three and 19 from the Wantage and Faringdon areas. This is the first major refurbishment since it opened in 1970.

Work is due to start at the end of the summer.