A new multi-million-pound school complex for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is set to open next week in Stoke-on-Trent .

An expansion of the existing Watermill School, Watermill Brindley on Turnhurst Road, in Packmoor, will create up to 70 new school places according to Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

The £11.5 million project has been funded through the city council's Schools Capital Programme.

Councillor Sarah Jane Colclough, cabinet member for children's services at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: "We are absolutely delighted that the new Watermill School site is ready to welcome pupils and we are pleased to see the number of SEND school places increased in the city.

"We are proud to have been able to support the school to expand to enable it to continue to deliver vital learning experiences for children, while supporting and promoting inclusivity, diversity and equality.

"We are committed to working with our trusted partners to ensure children and young people with SEND in the city can grow and thrive, and that starts with making sure that they can access the right support at the right time."

The complex - which hopes to provide "first-class" learning opportunities for SEND students - was built on the site of the former Middlehurst School.

Middlehurst School was closed in 2014 and demolished in 2022.

Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for growth, regeneration and transport at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: "Not only will this new school extension provide 70 much-needed places for children and young people with SEND, it has also helped to bring life back to a brownfield site which had been vacant for many years.

"We are committed to supporting families in Stoke-on-Trent through our plans to regenerate empty parcels of land, transform our transport network and help people to improve their skills and education through projects such as this one."

David Williams, Member of Parliament for Stoke-on-Trent North and Kidsgrove added: "Families across Stoke-on-Trent and Kidsgrove regularly contact me about issues accessing SEND services. This new facility will make a huge difference to young people and their families.

"I was delighted to officially open Watermill's extension and I am confident that the wonderful team there will continue to go from strength to strength as they support local students with their education.

"This is a great example of what can be achieved when local and national government work together with partners like Watermill to deliver for our communities."

Over the next few weeks, pupils will be enrolled at the new, two-storey learning facility.

It comes after the main contractors for the project, Stoke-on-Trent-based Seddon Construction Ltd, officially handed over the building last month (August).

Jason Dimelow, Contracts Manager at Seddon Property Services, said: "Delivering a specialist school for children and young people with SEND requires a different level of consideration around how the building will support pupils with a wide range of additional needs.

"From the design of the learning spaces through to the wider school environment, creating an inclusive space that works for pupils and staff has been central to the project.

"We're extremely proud to have worked closely with Watermill School, Stoke-on-Trent City Council and our project partners to deliver a modern facility designed around the needs of its pupils.

"The ribbon cutting marks an important milestone in the transformation of the former school site, and we're excited to see the new students welcomed into the school over the coming weeks."

Watermill School became an Academy in 2019 as part of the Orchard Community Trust.

The school provides support for a wide range of pupils, aged between three and 16. Pupils at the school all have learning difficulties of some kind - this may include moderate, severe, physical and multiple learning difficulties and autism.

Jen Lomas, Head Teacher at Watermill School and Gill Howell, Chair of Trustees, said: "We are delighted to celebrate the opening of the new Watermill Brindley Special School site as part of Orchard Community Trust.

"This important investment reflects the strength of our partnership with Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Seddons, whose collaboration and commitment have been instrumental in bringing this project to life.

"The new facility will provide additional specialist school places, helping to meet growing demand across the city and ensuring more children and young people can access high-quality education and support close to home.

"We look forward to seeing the positive impact our new provision will have for pupils, families and the wider Stoke-on-Trent community."