Plans for Sheppey's first special educational needs secondary school have been approved.

The school will be built on the former Danley Middle School site, next to the existing Halfway Houses Primary School at Halfway, near Sheerness.

Once built, it will open gradually and eventually provide places for 120 children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) needs and Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs from ages 11 to 16.

On Monday, September 12, plans for the construction of the two-storey building, a multi-use games area, parking and landscaping were given the green light.

Run by The SABDEN Multi-Academy Trust, the CGI images released show its proposed design, which includes a forest school area, sports hall, therapy suite, library, a soft outdoor PE area and ‘zones’ throughout the building that separate year groups and “enables pupils to feel safe and secure within their own core teaching area”.

According to the documents on Swale council’s planning portal, the school was aiming to open this September.

However, last autumn, Shellina Prendergast, Kent County Council’s (KCC) cabinet member for education and skills, admitted pupils were expected to walk through the doors a year later than planned.

She said: “The new secondary free special school, being provided through the Department for Education (DfE), is much needed and we are very pleased that work on it is progressing.

“As a result of a number of changes to the project and the difficulties that the Covid-19 pandemic has caused, the anticipated date of opening for the school is September 2023."

While Sittingbourne has two special educational needs (SEN) schools – Meadowfield School and Aspire School – the need for a special free school on the Island was identified by KCC in previous versions of its rolling Commissioning Plan for Education Provision in Kent.

A bid was submitted to the DfE in October 2018 for funding for it.

In the approval statement, Swale council said: "The council takes a positive and proactive approach to development proposals focused on solutions.

"We work with applicants/agents in a positive and creative way by offering a pre-application advice service, where possible, suggesting solutions to secure a successful outcome and as appropriate, updating applicants / agents of any issues that may arise in the processing of their application.

"In this instance the applicant/agent was advised of minor changes required to the application and these were agreed."

The planning application for the proposed school is now available to view by clicking here.

Search for it using the reference 21/505736/PSINF.