Council commits to additional SEND provision following £360,000 investment at Mill Green School

Article date: 20 December 2024

Before the start of the new school-term, work was underway at Mill Green School in Parr to construct a modular building that comprises four new classrooms as part of the council school's improvement programme.

With the project completed in just ten-weeks, senior councillors were taken on a recent tour of the new facility to see how the new sensory-equipped classrooms are making a difference to some of borough's most complex learners.

Councillor Nova Charlton, St Helens Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: "I'm delighted to see the outcome of this project, which has resulted in four new classrooms being created to expand Mill Green School.

"In our borough, 20 per cent of young people have SEND requirements. We've recognised this as a council and that is why we're expanding provision within borough, following the approval of our SEND strategy which was co-produced with our young people, parents and families.

"As a council, our main priority is ensuring children and young people have the best possible start in life and investments like this is concrete proof of that commitment."

Councillor Richard McCauley, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Growth and Regeneration, has commended the council's Property Services Team who delivered the scheme.

Councillor McCauley said: "This is testimony to officers in the council's Property Services Team who have worked tirelessly to turn this project around in just ten-weeks to ensure it was ready for use before the start of the new school year. The end result is fantastic and it's heartening to see what it means to the school and how it will support pupils to thrive in a comfortable learning environment."

Welcoming the new classrooms, Mill Green School Headteacher, Sean Lenahan, said:

"This is fantastic provision for our most complex learners. It's provided real, meaningful learning environments - purposeful spaces for our young people to learn in and it's enabled us to accommodate an additional 19 young people that would have gone elsewhere - potentially out of borough - so it's really good for the young people, their families  and for the local authority."

The Mill Green School scheme was one of several improvement projects carried out by St Helens Borough Council at schools across the borough before the start of the new year, which also included outdoor classrooms, new boilers and roof replacements, totalling in the region of £600,000.

For more information on St Helens Borough Council's recently adopted SEND strategy, visit: https://sthelens.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s163372/Appendix%201.pdf