CHANGES planned to special needs education would mean Wiltshire children have the best education in the country, councillors claimed this week as they unveiled their proposals.

Wiltshire Council’s plan is to invest £20m to transform the site at Rowdeford, near Devizes, into a new ‘super-school’, with a new name, more teaching space and extra facilities within the grounds.

Its three current special needs schools, at Rowdeford, St Nicholas in Chippenham and Larkrise in Trowbridge will stay open until 2023, when the one main school will take over.

It will have 350 places for children with extra needs - the three current schools have around 280 pupils in total.

Cllr Laura Mayes, cabinet member for children’s services, said: “The unique atmosphere of Rowdeford and its grounds was one of the reasons for us deciding to make it the base for the new school.

“We have put our pupils at the heart of our proposals on how we provide SEND education in Wiltshire. This vision means we concentrate on providing our pupils with the best facilities, the best teaching and the best learning environment where they can thrive. We can apply our expertise and experience in greater strength with greater purpose across Wiltshire.

“We are grateful to all those who responded to our consultation and helped inform this vision. We know that this will mean change for children and young people, but the new schools and resources will offer high quality provision, building on the excellent community support and engagement in Rowde and Salisbury.

“This new vision is about providing a better education and experience for all children and young people with SEND.”

Unveiling the proposals this week, after a consultation that began in May, the council described the ‘super-school’ as a “centre for excellence”, with facilities that will make it the best in the country.

Plans show hydro-pools, sensory rooms and physiotherapy have been outlined as part of the multi-million pound project. More open outdoor space, speech and language therapy and family care will all be included at the as yet unnamed school.

The new school is needed to address a growing number of children, but falling funding for SEN services from central government, says the council.

The buildings at Larkrise and St Nicholas were described as “past their prime” and it was revealed that Department for Education targets for outdoor learning were not being met at either.

The ‘super-school’ would have close ties to the community and specialist nurseries and provide mainstream schools with support to help them improve special needs care across the county.

Parents, school and communities were spoken to during the consultation period, and after the decision goes to a cabinet meeting on November 27, proposals to shut Larkrise and St Nicholas will again go out to consultation.

Special needs pupils in the south of Wiltshire will go to a second new school, at Exeter House in Salisbury, also unveiled under the plans.