(UK) Rotherham: Special school, 50 students, 40 staff proposed; "meeting local demand"

May 29, 2025, BBC News: SEND school proposed for theme park site

N. England

A building at Gulliver's Valley theme park, near Sheffield, could be turned into a school for up to 50 pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Five Rivers Child Care Ltd has applied to change the building's use from resort services and storage to a school, creating around 40 jobs and meeting local demand for SEND places, it said.

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council has a waiting list for SEND places, with many local children sent to schools outside the area, causing disruption and additional costs for families and the council.

The proposed River Valley School would support children aged six to 18 for an initial period of seven years. . . .

The school would be Ofsted-regulated and, if approved, would create about 40 jobs for teachers, support workers, caretakers and administrative staff, the application stated. . . .