New special needs school planned to replace failed nursery

A nursery that closed for good following a scathing Ofsted report could be transformed into a new special needs school for Rochdale.

The former home of Channings Childcare closed in 2022 after what the operator described as a ‘devastating’ Ofsted report. The education watchdog’s report found safeguarding failures that put children ‘at risk of harm or injury’.

Channings Childcare later put the Whitehall Street site on the market after claiming they did not have the resources to develop any further.

Now, the building could be given a new lease of life as a school for children with special education needs (SEN). The proposal put forward by Whitehall Academy Ltd would see a new privately funded school especially designed for primary school aged children with complex needs, if plans are approved.

The school would be known as Whitehall Academy and run by an operator that is already a lead provider of alternative provision to many of the schools in Rochdale, according to planning papers. The facility would cater for approximately 20 to 30 pupils, with around 15 staff members.

The young people the applicants expect to attend the school may have been diagnosed with autism, learning difficulties, and complex neurological conditions. Whitehall Academy Ltd also stated that the children attending may also be receiving ongoing CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) support or be awaiting multi-agency assessment.

Planning papers read: “Whitehall Academy strives to provide a broad and holistic curriculum that caters to pupils with a variety of needs, including autism, communication, sensory needs, and specific learning difficulties.

“The curriculum strives to be tangible in every part of the school day which begins with breakfast club, allowing all learners to be ready to engage in the formal curriculum and provides opportunities for staff to have conversations, address concerns, and prepare learners for the day ahead.

“At Whitehall Academy the local community will be seen as valuable to pupils’ learning, so opportunities will be taken to thread links between the curriculum and the local community. As part of this, the outdoors will be used as a learning environment; this can be both school based or supplemented with visits, trips and activities at external locations.”

If plans are approved, the school will accommodate two classrooms, an office/reception area, a head office, and a centrally located multi-purpose room on the ground floor. Other rooms on the ground floor include a shower room, WCs and a store.

The second floor level will be retained as it is to provide more floor space as well as a kitchen area. There are no plans to change the exterior of the building.

The applicants will keep the playground as it is as well as the outdoor car park which can accommodate six vehicles as well as a disabled space.

 

George Lythgoe, Local Democracy Reporter