(UK) Knowsley: New special school planned; 20 percent of area kids are SPED

July 16, 2021, Liverpool Echo: New special school planned for former Roby riding centre https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/new-special-school-planned-former-21069650 W. Coast England

The school would be an extension of the already successful Lakeside Primary School, located in a borough where 20% of children have special educational needs A new secondary school for children with special educational needs could be built on a former riding school in Roby. Witherslack Group, which runs 18 schools across the country for children with special educational needs (SEN), has applied to knock down the former Wheathills Riding School in Naylor’s Road and replace it with a school for 60 pupils. The new school would be linked to the neighbouring Lakeside Primary School, which is also run by Witherslack and has 30 pupils including 12 from Knowsley itself. … Witherslack also said that there was a clear demand for a secondary school for children with SEN in the area, with 40% of Lakeside’s pupils coming from Knowsley. Almost 20% of children in Knowsley have SEN, compared with 14.4% nationally. The plans can be viewed on the council’s website and are open for public comment, with the council expecting to make a decision on the plans by September 7.