Work Starts on £13.2m School

Contractor Henry Brothers Midlands has started work on a new £13.2 million special school in Derbyshire. The contractor is constructing the Alfreton Park Community Special School on behalf of Derbyshire County Council.

This new single-storey building is being built on a site adjacent to Alfreton Park, known as Highfield Plantation. It will replace the outdated and unusable teaching facilities at the school’s existing site. The current facilities will be demolished once the new site is completed and up and running.

Managing Director Ian Taylor said: “This new, replacement building for Alfreton Park Community Special School will provide a larger, purpose-built facility for pupils with special needs, including mobility issues, and we are delighted to have been selected to build this new school.

“Henry Brothers Midlands has worked with Alfreton Park Community Special School before – we delivered a hydrotherapy pool, which opened in early 2017 – and we are very pleased to be continuing our relationship both with the school and with Derbyshire County Council to help improve the education facilities within the county.

“This new school will offer modern facilities, extra space and increased car parking, and we are excited to have now started on site.”

The new buildings will see an increase in the teaching and other facilities available at Alfreton Park Community Special School.

The new site will provide 12 classrooms, six group rooms, including specialist therapy rooms and soft play areas, as well as a combined hall and dining area, where there will be space for 100 students.

The building is expected to be completed by late 2021, with the school opening in early 2022.

Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Young People, Cllr Alex Dale, added: “I’m so pleased that work has started on what will be a fantastic new home for the school.

“The current building is just not fit for purpose but the new one will really give these students the best possible start in life.

“I’d like to thank Amber Valley Borough Council who have helped out by providing the land for the new building in return for the council giving them some land in Heanor.

“This is much appreciated as without this land it would have been very difficult to provide the new building.”

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