New school for 80 students will be built on former Castlebrook secondary site in the next year

A new school for 80 secondary age children is to be built in Bury in the next year. Planning approval has been granted in the past week for the two-storey SEND school which will be constructed on the site of the former Castlebrook secondary, which was demolished in 2017 and replaced nearby by Unsworth Academy.

SEND schools are for children with special educational needs and disabilities if they have a learning difficulty and/or a disability that means they need more support.

The school will support the needs of up to 80 students, most of whom will have restricted mobility. Documents supporting the proposals for the school, which is set to open in September 2023, will have a multi use games area (MUGA), on-site car parking and access will be from Parr Lane with a pick up and drop off area.

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The school building, will have general and specialist teaching classrooms, a main hall, dining area and kitchen, a library and offices. Once open the school will employ 40 full time members of staff.

A design and access statement in support of the plans, said: “Bury SEND School is a DfE approved free school that will be managed by the Shaw Education Trust (SET). “SET is a multi-academy school trust which leads and manages academies in all phases, all sectors and in all communities, including the adjacent Unsworth Academy.

“The proposed building will have a much larger catchment area than its mainstream counterparts. It is to become an aspirational destination for the pupils and their parents and carers.

“The building itself has a clear layout that is legible, easy to navigate and maximises the quality and