(UK) Church Lawton: Autism school to expand

Oct 3, 2025, Northwich Guardian: Church Lawton School plans to expand as demand increases 

https://www.northwichguardian.co.uk/news/25516903.church-lawton-school-plans-expand-demand-increases

Church Lawton School opened as a free school for autistic children 10 years ago and currently has 70 pupils on its books, aged between four and 19 years old.

Liberty Academy Trust has applied to Cheshire East Council for permission for a new modular two-storey teaching block with link corridors and staircase and a single storey infill extension on the site at Cherry Tree Avenue.. . .

The school says it has operated at full capacity since it opened in 2015 ‘yet hundreds of local families remain on waiting lists, with children often forced into out-of-borough provision or stuck in mainstream settings ill-equipped to support autism’.

The planning document says: “This expansion proposal is a direct response to the documented need, aiming to deliver high capacity, high-quality autism specific classrooms, a high demand cooking suite, and an independence hub.

“It supports both local authority obligations under EHCPs (education, health and care plans) and the Liberty Trust’s mission to deliver a world class, locally accessible education for autistic learners.

“The proposed extension adds multiple autism-designed classrooms, raising capacity beyond the current 70-place limit.”