(UK) Oldham: 70 place autism school to open in late spring

Mar 6, 2026, New SEND school to open at former Hulme Grammar School site - Manchester Evening News

A new independent school for children with special education needs at a Grade-II listed building will soon open in Oldham. Thornycroft School is taking over the site of Hulme Grammar School’s former nursery on Newport Street in Werneth.

Renovations by education provider Horizon are ‘well underway’ with the school expected to open in late spring. There will be space for up to 70 pupils aged 5-19 with special educational needs, with a particular focus on those with mental health needs and autism.

Jennifer Hallam, who is due to become the school’s headteacher, said: “Thornycroft has high aspirations for all learners. We will get to know our children well and this will allow us to tailor our curriculum ensuring their success personally, as well as academically.

“As the new headteacher at Thornycroft, I am looking forward to serving the community of Oldham, creating a warm and inclusive school where children feel valued and safe.”

Around 6.7 percent of kids in Oldham have an EHCP, compared to 4.7pc of kids nationally.(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)

Horizon runs a number of SEND provisions across the UK, including the recently reopened Great Howarth School in Rochdale. It comes as Oldham was recently found to have a higher than average number of kids with special education plans (EHCPs).

Around 6.7 percent of kids in Oldham have an EHCP, compared to 4.7pc of kids nationally.

Horizon has confirmed it is carrying out works at the school while ‘preserving its rich local heritage’. The building was flogged off by the prestigious independent Hulme Grammar after its nursery became ‘no longer financially viable’.

This was due to changes including the amount of hours of free childcare parents are entitled to, and the introduction of VAT charges for private schools, according to a spokesperson for the school. Preschoolers were gradually phased into reception classes before the sale of the building.

Townplanners confirmed in November that the structure would not require planning permission for a ‘Change of Use’ from a nursery school to a day school for older children.