Development proposals for a new Special Educational Needs & Disability (SEND) in Harlow could offer 64 places to pupils.

The children and young people who will be attending the school will be disadvantaged for a number of reasons that include disorders stemming from childhood trauma.

The new school will be named The Greenwell Academy and located on Tendring Road, the grounds of the adjacent Sir Frederick Gibberd College, which is currently under construction.

Through the Department for Education (DfE), Central Government funding has been secured to deliver the Greenwell Academy, a 64-place school for pupils aged 7-16 and 15 residential places, with approximately 30 staff.

Access into the site is proposed from Tendring Road, which firstly leads to the residential building and then the main school building located centrally within the site.

The two buildings are L-shaped and include a mix of single and two-storey elements.

The buildings are separated by the on-site staff and visitor car parking.

The car parking layout will allow for parents to drive into the site for drop-off and pick-ups.

There are also proposals to provide cycle parking on site for staff and visitors.

People who live and work in the area are being asked to help shape the design for the proposals prior to the submission of a planning application.

The proposals for the school are informed by standards set by the DfE and follows a series of engagement meetings with the design team, The Beckmead Trust, Department for Education, Sport England, Essex County Council and the Local Planning Authority.

The Beckmead Trust works in partnership with the DfE and councils across London and the south-east.

They said: “Excellent partnerships with Local Authorities and the Department for Education result in Beckmead being able to support the youngster's Education, Health and Care Plans through a practice model based on nurture, social justice, love and a sense of community.”

For more information and to offer design help visit their website here.