AN 'Outstanding' special school in Woodley has plans to open a new early years centre for SEND pupils.

Addington Special School has partnered with Wokingham Borough Council to open a new early years centre to provide care and education to children from nursery to year one with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Addington Early Years Centre will open at the former Farley Hill Primary School site and act as a satellite to the main Addington Special School in Woodley.

The new early years centre will offer places to 40 children and will open in September with an initial intake of 16 children, gradually building to full capacity.

Sara Attra, headteacher at Addington Special School, said the school has worked with architects to ensure facilities are bespoke to pupils' special needs.

"The new centre will have a dedicated sensory room, sand and splash facilities and a dedicated area for much needed sensory circuits to support each pupils' emotional regulation, in addition to new spacious classrooms.

"We are looking forward to welcoming new families to our centre as soon as the building is finished, and for pupils to enjoy all it has to offer", Sara added.

Addington Early Years Centre is one of several new settings, for children with SEND, set to open over the coming months and years.

This comes after the council carried out a full review of its SEND services following a significant increase in children and young people needing additional support.

Also set to open in September is Oak Tree Special School in Winnersh, which will offer spaces to 150 pupils between Year One and Year 13, starting with 50 in September, who have Autistic Spectrum Conditions from Wokingham Borough and Reading Borough.

Further down the line, the council has secured funding from the Department for Education for two new special schools, a redesign of existing settings attached to mainstream schools and two new post-16 centres.

Councillor Prue Bray, deputy council leader and executive member for children’s services, said: "We are delighted to be working with Addington Special School to open a new early years centre for our youngest borough residents.

"The school has a long track record of providing exceptional education and care to children and young people with SEND and we are grateful that even more children will benefit now, and in the future."

Addington Special School received an Outstanding Ofsted rating at its recent inspection in March.

The "life-changing" school was praised for the "outstanding quality of education" and "strong leadership".