THE green light was given on Tuesday for two new special schools in Harrow, which will cost £19.5 million, as the contracts were signed at the borough's Civic Centre.

Kingsley High is to be built on an existing site on Whittlesea Road, Harrow Weald, and Woodlands First and Middle School will be built on a new site adjacent to Little Stanmore First and Middle School in St David's Drive, Canons Park. The work will include improvements to Little Stanmore First and Middle School.

The ceremony to celebrate the signing of the contracts and the start to the building work was attended by Harrow's Deputy Mayor, Councillor Lurline Champagnie, Councillor Bill Stephenson, the Education Portfolio Holder, the schools' headteachers, representitives from the finance investors, The Mill Group, and senior Education Officers including Paul Osburn, the Executive Director of People First.

Harrow's two new purpose-built schools for children with special educational needs have been made possible by Harrow Council's bid to the Government's PFI scheme, which was approved in 2001. Kingsley High and Woodlands First and Middle are two of the first ever new special schools to be built under the PFI scheme, and will offer opportunities for the local community, especially adults with learning difficulties, who may be able to share the schools' new facilities.

The new schools will contain a purpose built hydrotherapy pool, as well as IT work spaces fully accessible for people with disabilities, and Harrow will be entering into a partnership arrangement with the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) and Sunshine House special school in Northwood to share facilities.

Little Stanmore School will also be given the opportunity to share certain facilities with Woodlands School, including the food technology, science, and design and technology areas and the pool.

Councillor Bill Stephenson, the Portfolio Holder for Education, said: "The building of these two brand new, state-of-the-art schools will hugely the enhance special education provision in Harrow and will be a wonderful resource for the wider community.

"I am looking foward to seeing these wondeful new buildings being used and I commend all those who have worked to make this a reality. The excellent staff will have state-of-the-art facilities to continue their outstanding work with children with special educational needs."

David Toplas, the chief executive of the Mill Group, said: "The schools exemplify the approach for the Investors in the Community programme to deliver excellent community facilities via public private partnerships."

Lynn Wilson, the interim headteacher at Little Stanmore First and Middle School, said: "We are looking forward to the partnership between Little Stanmore and Woodlands School."

Little Stanmore's Chair of Governors, Audrey Brightwell, added: "The schools will have their own identities, but the partnership will help towards inclusive education."

The building work on the new schools will begin immediately and is set to be completed in early 2006.