Newly refurbished classrooms and facilities at Grimsby’s Fairfield Academy impressed attendees at an opening event last week.
The renovated area of the David Ross Education Trust (DRET) school has benefitted from funding and support provided by North East Lincolnshire Council to develop a specialist provision for children with additional needs.
Named The Emerald Hub, the site will offer support for 18-students who each have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and a primary need of communication and interaction.
Resource Specialist Provisions (RSP) like this one are being developed across the number of local school sites, enabling children with additional needs to remain in – or close to – mainstream education whilst receiving extra support tailored to their needs.
An official opening event took place on Tuesday evening, bringing together school staff and members of DRET along with Councillors and key officers from North East Lincolnshire Council. Also in attendance was the Worshipful the Mayor of the Borough of North East Lincolnshire, Councillor Marian Boyd.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Children and Education at North East Lincolnshire Council, Councillor Samuel Grice, said he was delighted to see the new facilities open.
“It’s fantastic to see these new facilities firsthand. I’m really impressed with the work that has been done to bring what was a redundant part of the school back into use, for the benefit of more students.
“I’m delighted that this latest RSP is completed and ready to welcome students. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all those from North East Lincolnshire Council, Fairfield Academy, the David Ross Education Trust, and Topcon Building Limited for their work to make these plans a reality.”
Simon Rose, CEO at DRET, said: “We are delighted that Fairfield Academy can now provide bespoke provision for children who need additional support. This has been a brilliant joint venture working together with the council, and we are very grateful to all of those who have made the Emerald Hub a reality.
“All children deserve to learn in a local setting that can fully meet their needs so that they can fulfil their potential, enjoy learning and thrive.”
Kimberley Lawton, Executive Director of Primary at DRET, said:“It is brilliant to see this space newly refurbished and serving the children so well.
“Thank you to the council and all involved. The Emerald Hub is clearly already making a huge difference and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for the children and their families.”
The work has been carried out by Topcon Building Ltd, working with North East Lincolnshire Council.
Under the government’s new SEND Reform programme, RSPs will become Inclusion Bases and this type of base will become known as a Specialist Base because it has been funded through the Local Authority using Department for Education grant funding and focuses on support for a specific area of need.
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