WORK has begun on a new £8.6m school for children with severe and profound learning needs.

The new buildings will open in September 2019 and replace the current Sandside Lodge School, on Sandside Road, Ulverston, which is no longer fit for purpose.

The development, paid for by Cumbria County Council, will provide modern teaching facilities for children from aged two to 19.

As well as state-of-the-art teaching spaces, the new 80-place school, located on the site of Ulverston Victoria High School on Springfield Road, will also have facilities including:

• Sensory Integration Room

• Hydrotherapy pool

• Physiotherapy

Donna Stretton, head teacher at Sandside Lodge, said: “We are so excited about the new build which will give our students the school they truly deserve. Right from the start they have been fully involved in the project – they even chose the colour scheme for the exterior of the building – to ensure the new build can fully cater for their needs and make the school a wonderful place to learn.

“We’re very keen for our students to see how the new build is progressing so we have a working wall in school with photos of the building site for each month. Some of our older students will also be creating a video diary of the building work which they’ll be sharing with the whole school and their families.

“The new build will create a school that meets more than just the basic needs of our students. New facilities like the hydrotherapy pool and sensory room will promote communication and independence and will help our students to further develop the skills they need for life.”

Cllr Sue Sanderson, Cumbria County Council cabinet member for schools and learning, said: “This is an exciting development which will create a centre of excellence for special needs learning in Cumbria. The new-build will provide much-needed modern, purpose-built facilities for pupils and staff at Sandside Lodge as well as a base for our Special Autism Teaching Support team.”

Cllr Sanderson, who is also Chair of the Governors at Sandside Lodge School, added: “The current Sandside Lodge School has served the community well but the buildings date back to the 1960s and no longer meet modern day standards for access and learning. In addition, the school’s location on a busy industrial estate is far from ideal.”

The county council has appointed Seddon Construction Ltd as the main contractor for the project.