Council leaders are set to approve £5.9 million of new capital projects at Stoke-on-Trent's schools – including 11 schemes for new and expanded special schools.

Most of the new schemes on Stoke-on-Trent City Council's schools capital programme for 2024/25 are focused on expanding provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in the city.

Council leaders say these works will allow more children in Stoke-on-Trent to get the education they need closer to their homes. The capital programme includes £452,000 for the demolition of the old Abbey Hill School to make way for the new Manor Abbey Free School.

Another two free schools, one for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the other for alternative provision (AP), are also planned, with the council set to contribute £250,000 towards the Department for Education schemes.

And there are plans to boost SEND provision at a number of existing schools across the city, either through new builds or refurbishments.

Cllr Sarah Jane Colclough said the schemes were part of the council's stratedy to increase local SEND provision (Image supplied).

Councillor Sarah Jane Colclough, cabinet member for education and anti-poverty, said the capital schemes were part of the council's strategy to increase local SEND provision.

She said: "We're committed to ensuring that we have an agreed vision across the city, and our partnerships, so that children and young people with SEND have the right support, at the right time, delivered by the right people. Making sure that children can access the support they need in their local communities is a really important part of this so I'm really pleased that we are increasing the number of SEND school places available in the city."

In addition to the SEND schemes, the council is also creating a £1 million contingency to meet sudden increased demand for places at Stoke-on-Trent schools over the next year. In recent years the council has focused on expanding secondary provision to meet a demographic 'bulge' – this wave is expected to peak in September 2025.

Cabinet members will be asked to approve the schools capital programme when they meet on Tuesday, November 5.

Here are all the new schemes being added to the schools capital programme this year:

Basic Need

• Contingency Provision – Secondary bulge requirements – £1,000,000

SEN

• The Willows – Resource Provision – Speech Language and Communication Difficulty (SLCD) – Refurb – £120,000
• Oakhill – Resource Provision – Speech Language and Communication Difficulty (SLCD) – New build – £410,000
• Abbey Hulton Primary Academy – Resource Provision – Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) – Refurb – £310,000
• Ball Green Primary – Resource Provision – Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) – New build – £760,000
• Crescent Academy / Children's Centre – Resource Provision – Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) – Refurb – £120,000
• Haywood Academy (CLT City College) – Alternative Provision – £44,000
• Secondary School TBC – ASD – Resource Provision – £750,000
• TBC – AP – Resource Provision – £750,000
• Manor Abbey Free School – Demolition of existing facility – £452,000
• Free School – ASD- £250,000
• Free School – AP – £250,000

Condition / Other

• Heron Cross Primary School – Kitchen Hot-water supply – £20,000
• St Paul's CofE (VC) Primary School – Kitchen equipment replacement – £15,000
• Primary Maintained – LA Responsibility re PFI Handback Works – £50,000
• St Peter's Academy – BSF Legacy Gas Supply – £600,000

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